21 Feb 2018 Smith, Conway excited for state tournament run

by Levi Gilbert

It’s late February and the Conway Lady Cats are in first place in the 7A Central. What else is new? 

For junior Asiyah Smith, proving the league wrong is such a sweet feeling.

"It means a lot when you were picked to be eighth in the state and now you’re No. 1 in the conference," Smith said. "It would mean a lot to win the 7A Central, especially being the underdogs and only having two seniors. We have proved a lot of people wrong already, and winning state would be the icing on the cake."

With Northside, North Little Rock and Conway all tied atop the 7A Central with an 11-2 record, the Lady Cats currently own the points tiebreaker. If Conway wins by six points or greater at Bryant this Friday, the team will wrap up the 7A Central and earn the No. 1 seed heading into the 7A state tournament next week. 

"This week, we have to maintain playing together, being healthy and continue to do the little things leading into state," Smith said. "It’s going to take a lot of focus, no distractions and mental toughness going into state. Mental toughness would be a big one for us."

Smith, a junior point guard for Conway (24-3, 11-2), was selected to this year’s 501 Basketball Team – 37 players representing the best the 501 has to offer both on and off the court. The team is sponsored by Conway Ortho and Sports Medicine, Conway Regional Health System and First Security Bank. Smith was nominated by her head coach, Ashley Nance.

"Asiyha’s best quality is her ability to see the floor," Nance said. "She can score from anywhere on the floor, she is great in transition and finishes extremely well around the rim. She is mentally and physically tough and is a competitor with a lot of grit. 

"Asiyha is our leader, and she is willing to address difficult issues. She cares about her teammates and wants our team to win regardless if she has three points or 30 points."

Smith was the lone returning starter to this year’s Lady Cat squad after starting last season as a sophomore. Her ability to even get on the court last year coming off of an injury was a big lift for the Lady Cats. She tore her ACL before her ninth-grade season and spent a year recovering and rehabilitating her knee. She was the only non-senior starter for Conway last year. 

"My goal coming into this season, as the only returning starter, was to make everyone feel like we are a family, whether we have a winning season or not," Smith said.

"Asiyha loves to have a good time," Nance said. "If we are on the bus, in the locker room or at any team event, she is typically the loudest one in the room and always laughing."

Smith has come up through Conway basketball system – from Boys and Girls Club through the Conway Public Schools’ programs. Working and growing under Nance has been a highlight for Smith. 

"It’s honestly been an honor to play for a coach who has been to state three times as a player and five times as a coach," Smith said. "You don’t get that often. She’s hard on me on the court and like a best friend off the court."

"Coach Nance has their respect from a very early age in the program," Matthews said. "My daughter played on the seventh-grade team at Ruth Doyle Middle School and the eighth-grade team this year, and I got to see Coach Nance’s influence firsthand as it trickles through this program. I think they respect her. They realize she truly cares about them, pushes them to be the best version of themselves and helps every player move on to the best opportunities possible after high school."

As Smith looks to lead the Lady Cats into the state tournament next week, she and her teammates will face tough competition to get to the state championship game in Hot Springs. 

"I think that if the top four teams in the state – Conway, North Little Rock, Fort Smith Northside and Fayetteville – take care of business early in the week, the semifinal games on Saturday and then the state championship game in Hot Springs will be as entertaining big-school basketball as possible," Matthews said. "All four teams have dynamic pieces. All four are well coached. All that being said, if the Lady Cats play their game – shoot the ball often, don’t pass up good shots, pressure defensively when it makes sense, change defenses when that makes sense – then I think they have what it takes to return to Hot Springs."

Conway closes out the regular season at Bryant at 6 p.m. Friday looking to secure the No. 1 seed out of the 7A Central.