The Blackhawks boys basketball team ran their league record to a perfect 6-0 with a pair of wins over Prairie Grove and Ozark last week.
The 60-26 victory over Prairie Grove’s Tigers was one of the best defensive efforts by a Pea Ridge team in recent memory, as the ’Hawk’s fierce play led to the game being shortened by the mercy rule. In the first quarter, the Tigers could not score a single field goal with their offense.
Their lone field goal came on a defensive strip after the ’Hawks had made a stop with a defensive rebound.
The ’Hawks then played Ozark in the Hillbillies’ basketball homecoming Friday, with Pea Ridge fighting off a late rally by the hosts to take the win. After leading the Billies for the entire contest, Ozark rallied to tie it up 36-36 with 3 minutes left in the game. A big 3-pointer by Levi Pitts regained the lead, with clutch free-throw shooting proving to be the difference.
The ’Hawks’ Isaac Mangrum forced a turnover on the Tigers’ first possession, with Nick De-Leon then making an outstanding pass back to Mangrum who then scored on a lay-up. Levi Pitts bombed a 3-pointer moments later to give the ’Hawks a 5-0 lead with 6:40 left in the first.
The Tigers scored a defensive basket off a ’Hawks’ turnover, then offset Jacob Hall’s lay-up with a pair of free throws to keep the ’Hawks within reach as the visitors trailed 7-4. On the ’Hawks’ next possession, Hall made a great fake, then dished it off to DeLeon who nailed a short jumper from the right side for a 9-4 lead. DeLeon then stole a pass and drove through a host of defenders to make an acrobatic lay-up for an 11-4 lead. Pitts then made another ’Hawks steal, hitting a free throw after being fouled. Pitts then hit a 7-footer followed by a lay-up momentslater to push the lead out to 16-4.
Hall was fouled with 2 seconds left and the senior ace drilled both shots for a 18-4 lead at the buzzer.
Prairie Grove scored their first goal using their offense to start the second quarter, but that was quickly followed by a Pitts lay-up then a Hall shot from behind the arc for a 23-6 bulge. The Tigers managed to hit a trey but Prairie Grove hit the meltdown button soon thereafter. DeLeon, who was exerting extreme pressure on the Tigers’ ball handlers, executed another steal which was greeted by an unsportsmanlike act by a Tigers player, leading to a technical foul. The Tigers coach then leaped up to express his outrage over the call and was promptly assessed another technical foul.
Pitts then went to the line to shoot four free throws for the team, making 3 of the 4 for a 28-11 ’Hawks’ lead.
Logan Rose traded rebound goals with the Tigers before going on an offensive tear, scoring two more goals in the paint before getting fouled to prevent a fourth goal. Rose sank both shots to put the ’Hawks ahead by an overwhelming 39-13 count. Hall’s 3-pointer seconds later extended the lead to 39-13 before the Tigers scored twice in the last minute to go into intermission trailing 39-17.
The ’Hawks missed their first shot of the third quarter, but Mangrum was there to tip it in.
After the Tigers scored a lay-up, Hall dropped in a lay-up and free throw followed by another De-Leon steal which the senior guard took in for a lay-up and a 46-19 lead. The onslaught continued after another Tigers goal as Pitts hit a trey, Mangrum scored a bucket and free throw, with Pitts scoring on a lay-up following a Tigers turnover to balloon the hosts lead to 54-21.
With substitutes taking over for the rest of the game, the visitors managed to score four consecutive points before Nick Hardy hit a goal to put the lead back over 30 at 56-25. Austin Horton then hit alay-up followed by a short jump shot by Lloyd Kalberloh to finish out the ’Hawks’ scoring. Prairie Grove hit the game’s last point, a free throw with 5 seconds left in the 60-26 ’Hawk victory.
Pitts led the scoring with 20, followed by Hall with 13, Rose 8, DeLeon 8, Mangrum 7, Horton 2, Hardy 2 and Kalberloh 2.
Blackhawks vs. Ozark
In the Ozark game, the ’Hawks had leads at every quarter break but had to withstand a Hillbillie rally in the final period to take the win.
The ’Hawks rained treys on the Billies in the first quarter to take the first lead. Two bombs by Hall and one from Pitts was augmented by a field goal by Rose for a 11-8 score after the first 8 minutes. The ’Hawks defense kept Ozark at the same 8-point output in the second quarter, while jamming through 14 of their own to take a 25-16 lead at intermission. Hall went on a three-bucket assault, while adding a free throw, with Tillman nailing a trey and field goal. DeLeon rounded out the Pea Ridge scoring with a goal of his own.
Ozark edged closer in the third period, outscoring the ’Hawks 12-9 to creep to within 6, trailing 34-28. Pitts nearly carried the offense, scoring 7 of the ’Hawks 9 points on two field goals and three free throws. Hall scored the other 2 on a field goal.
The ’Hawks had a tough time scoring in the first five minutes of the fourth period, having but a single goal while Ozark was scoring 8 to knot the score at 36-36.
Pitts then hit a 3-pointer to regain the lead for the ’Hawks at 39-36.
Ozark scored again to shave the lead down to 39-38, but could not score again as the ’Hawks scored the game’s last 7 points to take the contest. Hall was four-forfour from the line, with Tillman hitting three of four to turn the tide.
Hall led all scorers with 19, with Pitts scoring 13, Tillman 8, De-Leon 2, Mangrum 2 and Rose 2.
Sports, Pages 7 on 01/16/2013