PEA RIDGE — While maintaining leads through the first three quarters, Pea Ridge encountered incredibly hot shooting by Berryville in the fourth quarter to fall 54-49 in the 4A-1 conference game.
The Blackhawks did a good job of taking on every challenge the Bobcats launched their way up until the final fateful period. The visitors shot through six straight 3-point shots which helped them score 25 points in the final quarter, nearly half of their 54 total.
The loss dropped the ’Hawks out of a second place tie they held with Berryville and Gravette.
Things got underway on a high note for the scrambling ‘Hawks as their tenacious defense held Berryville scoreless for over two minutes into the game. The ’Hawks brought the crowd to its feet via long distance treys by Dakota Woodward and Jacob Hall as Pea Ridge got an early 6-0 lead. The Cats finally answered with a trey of their own and along with a free throw, cut the lead to 6-4 with 5:20 showing on the first quarter clock.
Ethans Higgins’ acrobatic layup and later free throw expanded the lead to 9-4 but turnovers helped the Cats as they came up with 4 points in the final minute.
A bucket and two free throws shrank the ’Hawk advantage to a single point, 9-8.
In the first of quite a few bizarre referee calls, a ’Hawk tip-in basket was waved off, to be followed by a Bobcat lay-up for a 10-9 Berryville lead. Woodward and Hall gave the Cats their one-two punch again, sinking successive 3-pointers to a more comfortable 15-10 lead halfway into the second period. Berryville then struckfrom downtown to get to within a pair when another Pea Ridge field goal was waved off by the referee. The Cats made the most of it, scoring underneath to knot the game at 15-all.
Berryville sank a free throw for a 16-15 lead but two seconds later, Logan Rose made two shots to reverse the lead in the ’Hawks’ favor. Not long after that, the Cats scored off a rebound to take the lead and the ’Hawks were frustrated by two straight turnovers.
The Pea Ridge defense didn’t allow the visitors to take advantage and with a minute left in the half, Evan Tillman converted a pair of charity tosses to give the lead back to Pea Ridge at 19-18 which was the score at intermission.
Hall started off the second half scoring with another trey to give the ’Hawks a 22-18 lead. Higgins matched a lay-up the Cats sank with a score by Cameron underneath extending the ’Hawk lead to 26-20. A driving lay-up by Hall would’ve given the ’Hawks an even bigger lead but for the third time, the officiating crew waved off the score. Tillman connected on a pair of charity tosses but Berryville came up with a trey, lay-up and a score underneath to get back to within a point of the ’Hawks as they trailed 28-27 with 3:16 left in the third quarter.
The ’Hawks again rose to the challenge with Hall ripping another 3-point, Higgins scoring again on a lay-up which he followed up with a 12-foot jumper.
The flurry gave the homeboys a little breathing as they led 35-27 with 37 seconds left in the third period. An unfortunate foul with 1 second left in the half gave Berryville to melt the lead, and they did, swishing both shots to close to within 6.
Berryville came out gunningin the final period, hitting a 3-pointer to close to within 3 at the 7:34 mark. Hall answered with a 10-footer but the Cats fired in another 3-pointer to get to within 2 at 37-35. Hall scored again on a lay-up but the visitors fired good again from the 3-point stripe but with a foot on the line, it counted for just two. Then for the fourth time in the game, a Blackhawk score was again waved off with Berryville taking advantage by hitting from downtown. This trey put the Bobcats in front for the first time in the half, 40-39.
Tillman shook loose to get off a 3-point attempt and it was all net as Pea Ridge again took the lead, at 42-40. The lead vanished seconds later as Berryville hit their fifth straight shot, four of them 3-pointers, to get back on top 43-42. The next trip down the floor for the ’Hawks netted only a single free throw by Higgins and the Bobcats launched their fifth straight scoring trey to lead 45-43. The next possession by the ’Hawks scored but a point with the Cats scoring inside for a 47-44 lead. Another trey by the Bobcats put the ’Hawks in a deep hole as they trailed 50-44 with just over a minute left in the game. The last minute saw the Bobcats sink four freethrows as opposed to a pair by Hall as the clock ran out on the ’Hawks.
Sports, Pages 7 on 02/08/2012