Lady Jacks fall just short in 52-50 season opener at Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The Warren Lady Jacks opened their 2026-27 basketball season with a competitive road performance Tuesday night, November 10, coming up just short in a 52-50 loss to Hot Springs.

Warren showed plenty of promise in its season debut, building an early advantage and battling back from a halftime deficit to carry a narrow lead into the fourth quarter. The Lady Jacks ultimately fell by just two points in a closely contested matchup.

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The Lady Jacks wasted little time finding their offensive rhythm, putting together an impressive opening quarter. Warren scored 21 points in the first period while holding Hot Springs to 14, establishing a seven-point advantage after eight minutes of play.

Hot Springs responded in the second quarter, limiting Warren to three points while scoring 14 of its own. That turnaround sent the home team into halftime with a 28-24 lead.

Rather than allowing the deficit to grow, Warren answered with one of its strongest stretches of the evening in the third quarter. The Lady Jacks poured in 18 points while holding Hot Springs to 13, reclaiming a 42-41 advantage heading into the final period.

Warren faced an additional challenge entering the fourth quarter, as Bayleigh Miller was unable to play in the final period due to an injury. Miller had been one of the Lady Jacks’ key offensive contributors, and her absence left Warren without an important scoring option down the stretch.

Despite the setback, the Lady Jacks continued to battle. Hot Springs managed to edge back in front during the final quarter, ultimately holding on for the 52-50 victory.

Breize Fellows led Warren’s offensive effort with 15 points, connecting on four three-pointers. Her perimeter shooting provided an important spark for a Lady Jacks offense that showed the ability to score in bunches.

Miller also turned in a strong performance before being sidelined, finishing with 14 points while knocking down two three-pointers. She contributed in other areas as well, recording four assists and four rebounds.

Khourtni Johnson was another important contributor for Warren, finishing with 11 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists.

Livi McKinney made her presence felt defensively and on the boards, collecting a team-high six rebounds to go along with two steals and two blocked shots. Caroline Harton added five rebounds, two steals and a three-pointer, while Nyla Simmons contributed four rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.

Collectively, the Lady Jacks connected on seven three-pointers and recorded 11 assists, showing encouraging signs of offensive balance and ball movement in their first regular-season outing.

For Hot Springs, Ennis led the scoring with 22 points, while Sanders added 16.

Although Warren came away without the victory, the season opener offered several positives. The Lady Jacks demonstrated their scoring potential in the first and third quarters, responded well after surrendering an early lead, and remained in contention throughout the night despite losing one of their key contributors for the final period.

The narrow road loss gives Warren a competitive starting point as the Lady Jacks look to build on their opening performance in the games ahead.

Warren will return to action Tuesday, November 17, when the Lady Jacks host eStem of Little Rock in their home opener at Lumberjack Arena.