Farmington’s Cardinals relied on ball handling skills and deadly free throw shooting to frustrate Pea Ridge’s upset bid as the ‘Hawks lost 60-57 in a conference game here last week.
The Cards made three of four free throws in the final 15 seconds to provide the winning margin, while the ‘Hawks’ final shot to tie bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded. The victory cemented Farmington’s hold on first place in the 4A-1 conference and was the toughest battle the Cardinals have had to date as they remain undefeated in league play.
The contest between the state’s number-three ranked team in Farmington and the ninth-ranked Blackhawks looked for the longest time like a classic upset. Pea Ridge took the lead early in the second quarter and held it until a pair of Pea Ridge turnovers was accompanied by four Farmington free throws and a 3-pointer as the Cards got back ahead 50-49 with 5:58 left in the game. Farmington’s accuracy from the free throw line proved to be the difference as they converted 10 of 12 over the last seven minutes.
“Too many missed free throws and mental mistakes,” head coach Charley Clark lamented. “But we did come awfully close to beating Farmington. Ithink that it will give us confidence this week if we get to play them again at home in the district tournament.”
The first quarter was all Farmington as the visitors led throughout the period. Ethan Higgins broke through for the ’Hawks’ first score at the 6:24 mark of the first quarter after Farmington had jumpedout to a 4-0 lead. Cameron Thompson’s two for two effort at the line answered a score in the paint by Farmington but a subsequent jump shot by the Cards along with a 3-pointer following a Pea Ridge turnover put the hosts in a 11-4 hole at the 3:48 mark.
A flurry of turnovers by both teams left the score unchanged until Thompson spun loose for a score underneath, drawing a foul in the process. His successful conversion cut the lead in half as Pea Ridge trailed 11-7 with 2:11 left.
The ’Hawks then forced a Cardinal turnover with Kasey Cooper taking advantage of seconds later when he got an open look for a 3-pointer which he drained to cut the lead to one. Another layup by Thompson moments later saw the ’Hawks take a lead 12-11 with 1:12 left in the first.
Higgins matched a Farmington layup as Pea Ridge led 14-13 with 0:46 seconds left on the clock.
The Cards then responded with another field goal to retake the lead with 38 seconds left. Although coach Clark had hoped that the ’Hawks would hold for the last shot, a pre-mature shot and miss by the ’Hawks gave thevisitors just enough time to get down the floor for a 3-point attempt which they drained as Farmington went into the second quarter ahead 18-14.
The ’Hawks used layups by Jacob Hall and Thompson to knot the contest at 18-18 with 6:48 left in the half. The Cardinals retook the lead on a pair of free throws but a tip-in by Joe Adams tied it again at 20-20. The Cards went to their bread and butter, free throws and layups, as they jumped back ahead 24-20 at the 4:10 mark.
Though the Cards had been careful to keep Cooper smothered on the 3-point line, he managed to slip open briefly to drop in another trey to cut the deficit to one. Hall’s two of two from the charity stripe with 3:08 left in the half gave Pea Ridge the lead at 25-24. Cooper then stepped in front of a Cardinal pass and then went coast to coast to up the lead to 3 at 27-24. Farmington struck back with a 3-pointer to tie it again but Hall broke the tie seconds later with a trey of his own as the ’Hawks led 30-27 with two minutes left. Higgins hit a layup to extend the lead but the visitors managed to score off a rebound shot and free throw as the half ended with Pea Ridge clinging to a 32-30 lead.
Both teams cranked up things defensively after intermission with the only score in the first two minutes being a free throw by Cooper. Farmington scored the half’s first field goal with 6 minute left.
A foul called on the play netted the Cards an extra point and a tie game at 33-all. Hall traded jump shots with the Cards to keep it tied until Cooper got loose for another 3-point shot which he canned to give Pea Ridge a 38-35 edge.
Hall converted a floater in the lane but a jump shot and a pair of free throws melted the lead to just one, 40-39 with 2:38 left in the period. Dakota Woodward then hit a big 3-pointer which was followed by aCardinal layup. Higgins then exploded for a pair of layups as the ’Hawks assumed their biggest lead of the night, 47-41, with 1:34 left in the period.
Farmington managed to score another goal before the end of the quarter as Pea Ridge took a 4-point lead into the fourth period.
Thompson scored off a rebound in the quarters’ opening seconds but four consecutive free throws by Farmington sliced the lead to a scant 2 points. A Cardinal 3-pointer following a ’Hawk turnover retook the lead for Farmington and then three straight charity tosses put Pea Ridge in a hole, as they trailed 53-49 with 3:38 left in the game.
Thompson made three of four free throws to get the ’Hawks to within one, but a subsequent layup by Thompson was offset by a pair of drives by Farmington as the Cards led 57-54 with just under a minute left in the game.
Things got wild and wooly in the game’s final seconds as the officials looked averse to blowing their whistles. After Cooper was physically thrown back across the court to avoid his getting open for a 3-pointer, the whistles finally did blow, sending Thompson to the line. He made one of two to cut the lead to 2 but with Farmington holding the ball to melt the clock, the ’Hawks were forced to foul. The Cardinals made both opportunities to double their lead but a Woodward layup seconds later gave the ’Hawks one last shot as they trailed 59-57 with 8 seconds left. An immediate foul put the Cards back on the line with the visitors missing one of the two shots giving Pea Ridge one last chance. The ’Hawks’ chance for a tie evaporatedwith the ball bouncing off the rim as time expired as the game ended in a 60-57 Farmington victory.
The ’Hawks were led offensively by Thompson’s 17 points followed by Cooper’s 12 markers. Hall and Higgins both scored in the double figures, hitting for 11 and 10, respectively.
Woodward finished the game with 5 points followed by Adams with 2.
4A◊1 DISTRICT TOURNAMENT At Pea Ridge Tuesday
Game 1: No. 8 seed Berryville vs.
No. 5 seed Ozark (G) 4 p.m.
Game 2: No. 8 seed Berryville vs.
No. 5 seed Gentry (B) 5:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 seed Pea Ridge vs.
No. 6 seed Gravette (G) 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 7 seed Ozark vs. No.
6 seed Gravette (B) 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. No.
3 seed Farmington (G) 4 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. No.
3 seed Pea Ridge (B) 5:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. No.
4 seed Gentry (G) 7 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 4 seed Shiloh Christian (B) 8:30 p.m.
Friday
Game 9: No. 1 seed Prairie Grove vs. Winner Game 7 (G) 4 p.m.
Game 10: No. 1 seed Farmington vs. Winner Game 8 (B) 5:30 p.m.
Game 11: No. 2 seed Shiloh Christian vs. Winner Game 5 (G) 7 p.m.
Game 12: No. 2 seed Prairie Grove vs. Winner Game 6 (B) 8:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs.
Winner Game 11 (G) 6 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 10 vs.
Winner Game 12 (B) 7:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 7 on 02/16/2011