Blackhawks take down Shiloh for 10th straight

Staff photographs by Randy Moll, Westside Eagle Observer Blackhawk senior Tristan Trundle goes in for a lay-up Friday in the Gentry gym.
Staff photographs by Randy Moll, Westside Eagle Observer Blackhawk senior Tristan Trundle goes in for a lay-up Friday in the Gentry gym.

The Blackhawk boys varsity basketball team overcame cold shooting on the road to emerge with their 10th straight victory, a thrilling 59-56 come from behind victory over Shiloh in Springdale last week. The 'Hawks scored 25 points in the final eight minutes for their second straight big finish game in a row.

"The boys hung together and found a way," head coach Trent Lloyd said. "We got over the hump and did enough to finish. This team is really turning into a fourth-quarter team."

Indeed, the Blackhawks did not lead the host Shiloh team until the game's final 5 minutes, then had to beat back a 3-point attack by their adversaries. Shiloh scored 16 points over the final 80 seconds and were forced to foul the 'Hawks to get the ball back. Pea Ridge responded by canning eight of 10 free throws to hold Shiloh at bay. The Blackhawks were up by 6 when Shiloh's final trey rattled home at the buzzer.

The game started badly for the 'Hawks with Shiloh jumping out ahead 4-0 in the opening minutes. Weston Church nailed a trey to close the gap and a Blake Sheppard's free throw partially offset another Shiloh score before Zach Davis dropped in a lay-up to tie it at 6-6 mid-way in the first quarter. The hosts responded by firing in a pair of treys within 20 seconds of each other to jump back ahead 12-6. Tristan Trundle scored on a lay-up as well as a tip-in with Britton Caudill scoring inside to keep up with another pair of Shiloh 3-pointers as the first quarter ended with the private school boys keeping their 6-point edge, leading 18-12.

Shiloh scored the first 3 points of the second quarter, but a lay-up and following foul shot kept the deficit at 6 21-15 with four minutes left in the half. Shiloh then came up with a trey and a lay-up to go up by 9 but Trundle scored in the paint and added a free throw to offset that. The final score of the half was still another 3-pointer by Shiloh which left them firmly ahead 29-20 at the break.

With Shiloh extending their defense to prevent the 'Hawks' 3-point shooting in the third quarter, Pea Ridge began attacking the interior, scoring on lay-ups and drawing fouls to half the deficit by quarter's end. Church converted a pair of free throws, Nick Hardy scored on a lay-up and free throw, Davis and Lance Buttry knifed through for lay-ups with Davis adding a free throw and Hall two more to bring the 'Hawks within striking distance, trailing just 38-34 going into the final period. Shiloh's torrid 3-point shooting cooled considerably as the hosts made but one attempt in the period, to go with three other field goals. Increased defensive pressure by the 'Hawks also helped as they forced Shiloh into four turnovers in their comeback.

Caudill was fouled to start the final period and the sophomore forward responded by making both shots to cut the lead to 38-36. Shiloh scored on a pair of throws themselves to restore the 4-point edge momentarily before the 'Hawks went on a tear on both ends of the court, forcing their hosts into five straight turnovers while exploding for 13 points to grab an almost sudden 9-point lead. The hero of the fourth quarter in the Huntsville upset, Davis, provided an encore as he drained a trey, hit a jump shot, then flipped in a lay-up and subsequent free throw to turn a 4-point deficit into a 4-point lead as Pea Ridge for the first time. Hall shot through a trey with Buttry scoring underneath as the 'Hawks looked ready to blow Shiloh out of the gym, leading 49-40 with just 2:44 left in the game.

More than a minute melted off the clock without a score with Shiloh calling time. The hosts came back out resolved to win or lose on the 3-point line and the shots started falling again. Shiloh scored on a trey and pair of free throws to cut the 'Hawk lead to 51-45. Sheppard sank a free throw with 39 seconds left to improve the score to 52-45, but Shiloh scored on another trey five seconds later to drop the lead to 52-48. The 'Hawks were almost immediately fouled with Hardy taking the hit, but the senior guard frustrated their strategy by sinking both shots to widen the lead to 54-48.

The 'Hawks committed a foul but Shiloh only sank one, and when Shiloh immediately fouled the 'Hawks back, Sheppard ripped both shots to edge his team further ahead 56-49 with just 23 seconds left. Not conceding the game, Shiloh drove the floor and launched another deep shot to cut the lead to four at 56-52 with 14 seconds left. Hardy sank another free throw with 12 seconds left which was matched by Shiloh with 5 seconds left, and the game was not put on ice until Hardy sank two more from the charity stripe with 3 seconds left to give Pea Ridge an insurmountable 6-point lead 59-53. Shiloh's final trey at the buzzer was academic as the 'Hawks maintained their hardwood dominance over Shiloh that Pea Ridge enjoyed throughout the Charley Clark era.

"It's big!" exulted senior Blake Sheppard. "We have been rivals since Pee Wee ball and it is always great to beat Shiloh. Although we got behind early, our rotation system just wore them down."

Lloyd added that "any road win is a great win. Things went against us nearly all the way but we still managed to get the win. I'm proud of the boys for their tremendous effort and for never giving up."

Davis led the scoring with 15, followed by Sheppard with 8, Hall 8, Hardy 8, Trundle 7, Buttry 6, Church 5 and Caudill 1.

The victory kept the 'Hawks tied atop the 4A-1 Conference with Huntsville with 6-1 records at the end of the first half of the conference season.

General News on 01/28/2015