STAR CITY'S DEFENSE A CONSTANT

The recipe for success is simple for longtime Star City girls basketball Coach Becky Yarbrough. "I'm not in this new era where offense wins," said Yarbrough, who's in her 29th year at the Lincoln County school. "I'm still in that old school where defense wins championships, and that's certainly what's carried us this year." That philosophy has made Yarbrough's Lady Bulldogs one of the state's best programs during her tenure. Star City (22-0, 8-0 4A-8) is the only girls team in Arkansas that hasn't been beaten this year, and Yarbrough said defense is the biggest reason why. "We struggle to score sometimes," she said. "We're not very big, but we've got some speed, and that's helped on the defensive end. It's allowed us to get some easy baskets off steals, and that's big." The Lady Bulldogs allow 33.9 points per game, and they've been especially tough on 4A-8 conference foes. Through eight league games, Star City has given up 30.6 ppg. In their past two contests against Hamburg and Monticello, the Lady Bulldogs have given up 36 points total. Star City's prowess on defense doesn't mean its devoid of talent on offense. Juniors Janiya Johnson and Breanna Grayson are both scoring in double figures. "Janiya handles the ball, but it's unbelievable how fast she gets down the floor, especially in transition," Yarbrough stated. "And Breanna is a beast on the boards. She's not very tall, but she's a very strong kid. She gets 7-8 rebounds a game, too." Yarbrough said Star City's lack of size is a bit of a blessing in disguise. "We're more versatile," she said. "Not being as big as we've been in the past gives us a little more flexibility on certain things. Of course, playing bigger teams can be a challenge, but we've made up for it, and it all comes back to defense. "We're able to put more pressure on the ball. When we do that and get that back-side help, we're fine. But it all starts with our defense."

STAR CITY'S DEFENSE A CONSTANT

ERICK TAYLOR

Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette | 2/7/2020

PHOTO CREDIT: Star City High School Athletics