Southside girls basketball exceeding expectations under first-year head coach Harville

SOUTHSIDE, Ark. (KAIT) - For most teams with a brand new head coach, the expectations aren’t too high during the first year, but for Southside and first-year Head Coach Michael Harville, the expectations were a bit higher.

Harville inherited a program that returned 7 players from last year’s team that won 17 games and made the 4A State Tournament.

And yet, despite a new head coach, the Lady Southerners are exceeding expectations.

“In the summer, you’re learning names, like you’ve got to learn attitudes, you got to learn how they play, and then by the end of the season you kind of hope they’re playing the way that you expect them to,” Harville said. “And man they’ve bought in like big time. They just brought me in and we went to work.”

Southside has gone to work in a big way this season. After an early loss in December to Nettleton, the Lady Southerners have rattled off 21 straight wins, and sit undefeated at 11-0 in 4A-3 play entering the final week of the regular season.

“These girls, they listen so well, they execute so well,” Harville said. “They’re a joy to coach, I think I enjoy watching them play as much as I enjoy coaching them.”

Southside has a mix of great guard play, led by Henderson State signee Olivia Allen, as well as physical play in the post, led by Kamie Jenkins. The Lady Southerners have only allowed teams to get above 50 points just twice this season.

“What they’re doing is really special. And you know, that target on your back just gets bigger and bigger with every win,” Harville said. “And we got to keep that in mind that teams really want to beat the team that’s won 21 in a row. I mean, how good would it feel to be the team that broke that streak? So we got to remember that it’s just important to us to keep that going. We’ve done something really special. And let’s finish it now.”

Southside will close out their regular season with three games, starting on the road at Pocahontas Monday, February 7.

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