North Little Rock girls happy to be back home after hoops road swing

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

After a tough four-game road stretch in which his team finished 2-2, North Little Rock head girls basketball coach Daryl Fimple was back to his motivational ways.

North Little Rock (20-4 overall, 4-2 in 6A Cental action)’s gauntlet included win at Bryant (64-34, )a loss to Cabot (48-36), a win at Little Rock Central (51-46) and a 78-65 loss to rival Conway on Friday night.

“Thank goodness we are home this Tuesday,” Fimple wrote on Facebook. “Hats off to Conway and Coach (Ashley) Hutchcraft. They came out swinging. I thought we responded, but they kept coming.

“6A CENTRAL IS JUST DIFFERENT!!

“I know our kids will respond. 4 of the last six at home!!! We have played 24 games and have played 4 home games!!! We control us. BATTLE ON!! Marathon not a sprint!!”

The 6A Central race now has Conway (18-6, 6-1) on top, Cabot (22-3, 5-1) and North Little Rock as its top trio.

Cabot is at Conway on Tuesday night while North Little Rock hosts Little Rock Southwest (9-7, 0-5).

North Little Rock, who won state championships in 2018 (7A) and 2022 (6A) while losing to Conway last season, is looking to make a third straight title game appearance.

“It’s a weird blend because we have four really good seniors and then we are all sophomores and freshmen,” Fimple said. “It is kind of a big sister kind of thing.

“We share the bell real well, we defend it real well together, it is just a really put together team that has kind of surprised us, especially with our schedule, to be here where we are at and they just continue to get better.

“I still think our best games are in front of us.”

The Charging Wildcats have a starting five of 5-10 senior Jocelyn Tate, 6-0 senior Madison Hatley, 6-1 senior Ahmmiyah Caffey, 5-7 senior Santa Delgado and 5-4 sophomore point guard Katie Fimple, the coach’s daughter.

“We have got Jocelyn Tate, who has signed with Southern University down in Baton Rouge,” Fimple said. “She is just an unbelievable athlete, has started since she as a sophomore and has played in the state championship games the last two years.

“She’s probably our most experienced kid, a 4.0 kid.

“The one that has really came up and played a lot of basketball, just not in the role she has now, is Madison Hatley. She has just kind of ballooned into one of our better players and those two are just phenonenal.

“The other two are great kids that just kind of play roles that the team needs are Miyah Caffey and Sania Delgado. They have done a really good job.”