CAMDEN — By PATRIC FLANNIGAN
Sports editor
The Camden Fairview Cardinals (12-11, 8-4) and Lady Cardinal basketball (19-6, 9-3) teams finished its seasons with road wins on Friday night against tough Hamburg competition.
The Lady Cardinals defeated Hamburg 64-47, while the Cardinal boys beat Hamburg 75-64.
In the first game, the Lady Cardinals struggled early before finding its rhythm in the second half. The Lady Cardinals entered Friday’s game losing two of its last three games, and giving up a 25point lead that it won against Monticello in overtime. C.F. got off to a rough start and found itself down 7-0 against a Hamburg team that it had beaten by 14 points in January. That’s when C.F. Coach Johnny Jackson decided to send a message and sit down his starting five and go to his reserves to find a spark. The strategy worked as the second team went in and worked to tie the game at 7 behind the post dominance of Jihya Jefferson who would score 6 of her total 10 points in the first quarter. C.F. sophomore Tania Dandridge utilized her speed to force turnovers in the Hamburg back-court, and the Lady Cardinals would end the first quarter only down 13-9.
Hamburg would adjust to the energy of the reserves and push the lead back up to seven early in the second quarter. The C.F. starter re-entered the game with the fire and confidence that it had before an upsetting senior night loss to Magnolia earlier this month and looked like the Lady Cardinal team that started conference play 6-0. A minute before the half, Anna Dawson would pick off a pass at half court and race for a layup to give C.F. its first lead of the game. C.F. would take a 25-23 advantage into the half.
In the third quarter, the C.F. defense was problematic again and held the home team to only two points. C.F. wouldn’t look back after leading going into the fourth quarter 49-25.
C.F. tallied a season high of 21 steals on the night. Tai’Sheka Porchia finished with 15 points, four steals and seven rebounds. Jefferson finished with 10 points and three rebounds. Dawson finished with nine points, three steals and five rebounds. Dandridge stuffed the stats with five rebounds, six steals and seven points. Raven Porchia also did a good job crashing the boards and finishing with five rebounds.
Cardinals get revenge against Hamburg
The Camden Fairview Cardinals have had to shuffle its starting five over the last couple of weeks but looked in sync Friday during its game against Hamburg. The Lions defeated C.F. at home in January, but the Cardinals got a taste of sweet revenge when it upended the Lions on its senior night.
C.F. trailed early but Qway Thompson would put up 6 points in the quarter to pace the Cardinals. C.F. would take a lead when Demarcus Morgan would split defenders on his way to a lay up. The un-intimidated play of C.F. sophomores Javion Clemmer, Jaden Bates and Christian Strahan was also big as each of them scored to answer Hamburg. However, the Lions couldn’t miss from the outside as 5’7 Jai Trent hit his fifth three of the first quarter - despite being fouled - at the end of the first quarter buzzer. Trent would miss the free throw but the Lions would hold the 24-22 lead.
The action would continue to go back and forth in the second as Dashaire Ford Burton, Jalen Moore and Strahan were able to sink threes to combat Hamburgs perimeter attack. C.F. would go into the half up 41-38 after sophomore James Jimmerson came up with a big time put back just before the buzzer.
Moore would have a big third quarter for the Cardinals by scoring eight points to help C.F. go up 54-50.
The last 1:35 would prove pivotal for the visiting team. C.F. was down 64-63 when Clemmer grabbed a rebound and kissed it off of the glass for an and 1 to put C.F. up by two. C.F. played sound defense and came up with a rebound, Thompson drove the lane for two and drew a foul to complete another three-point play. From there, Hamburg was in desperation mode and failed to hit any of its shots from the outside.
C.F. Head Coach Josh Nix’s team would go a perfect 10/10 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Moore led the Cardinals with 18 points followed by Clemmer with 13 and Thompson with 11. Bates finished with ten points and Strahan added 8. Ford Burton finished with seven points and six rebounds.
C.F. set for regional tournament
The Cardinals and Lady Cardinal qualified for the South Regional Tournament that will be played in Mena later this week. Both teams will need to win at least one game in order to qualify for the 4A State Playoffs that will be held in Magnolia next week. The Cards and Lady Cards will both play on Thursday. The Cardinals will represent Region 8 as the No. 2 seed against the Region 7 No. 3 seed Arkadelphia (11-9, 8-4) at 5:30 p.m. and the third seeded Lady Cardinals will play the Region 7 No. 2 seed Nashville (14-8, 8-4) at 7 p.m. on Thursday.