There are three ways to score in basketball. There is the crowd pleasing 3-point shot, then there is the regular 2-point basket, and finally, there are the 1 point scores that come via the free throw line.
Fortunately for the Blackhawk boys, their proficiency from the line earned them a opening game victory in the 4A-1 conference race as they came out on top of a five overtime game 80-79, playing the last overtime without their scoring leader, senior Noah Peterson, who poured in 34 points in the contest Friday, Dec. 20. Unfortunately for the Lady Hawks, they were on the losing end of a 35-34 battle as the Pioneers ultimately won that game from the line.
Both games were highly competitive with each team displaying tight defenses, making scoring a daunting task throughout the game. In both games, the winner led the first half only to lose at the end. Both games were considered upsets with the higher ranked teams losing to lower ranked ones. Gentry's boys and girls were both undefeated coming into the Friday night match-ups.
It was noteworthy in the boys' game in that after the Pioneers built a 3-point lead after the first quarter, the Hawks shaved a point off the lead in each of the successive three periods to force an overtime. The first four overtimes saw the teams score the same with the Hawks outscoring the Pioneers by one in the fifth overtime to secure the final victory. The game was as close as a game could be.
"Whew!" was all Blackhawk coach Trent Loyd could say after the game. "Gentry is a very good team with everyone back from last year, along with adding a new player. I've never coached in a five-overtime game before but we got the win. So great! I was so proud of the way the boys keep answering every challenge. They never gave up."
Game accounts:
Boys
Pea Ridge 80
Gentry 79
Gentry edged out ahead from the outset and maintained a lead throughout the first half, until the Hawks gradually cut into the deficit in the second half that eventually forced an overtime. Four overtimes didn't settle the outcome but the fifth one saw a 7-point outburst from senior Brandon Whatley, a huge 3-pointer from junior Greydon Edwards, and a final free throw by sophomore Jared Brewer to provide the winning margin in a tense, marathon competition.
After a pair of inside scores by Gentry senior Beau Tomblin put the Pioneers up 4-2 to offset a senior Wes Wales layup, Wales pulled off a steal to feed a driving Edwards to tie the score at 4-4 at the 6 minute mark of the 1st quarter. Tomblin dropped in another layup and Gentry's senior Casey Bates added two more to offset two more such scores from Edwards to put Gentry on top 10-8 with a little over a minute left in the period.
Senior Blackhawk Noah Peterson hit his first 3-point shot of the evening in the final minute, but the Pioneers countered with two of their own from Tomblin and Bates to jump out to a 16-11 lead, with what would be their largest margin of the game. Wales scored underneath just before the buzzer to send the teams into the second quarter with Gentry on top 16-13.
The guests restored their 5-point lead with an early shot by senior Brian Magana, but after Blackhawk senior Mazon Harris scored on a driving layup followed by a short jump shot and layup by Peterson, the Hawks had their first lead at 19-18. Gentry went long, scoring two straight treys by Tomblin and Luke Fox to get back on top 24-19, but a trey by Peterson right before the break cut the lead deficit to 24-22.
Peterson erupted for 10 points on two treys, two free throws and a layup to put Pea Ridge ahead 32-20. Bates sank a three-ball for the guests with Garrison Jackson adding a bucket and free throw to keep it close. Edwards added a free throw and Wales came up with a loose ball under the goal to score late in the period but goals by Tomblin and Jackson in the paint along with two free tosses by Bates kept Gentry ahead, 36-35 headed into the fourth.
Gentry used a Fox 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Magana to offset a Whatley layup to build a 4-point lead with 4 minutes left in the game. Wales then came up big with a trey to cut the lead to just 1 point. A few seconds later, Fox drained a trey to restore the 4-point edge, but Peterson dropped in a layup then scored a pair of freebies after senior Hunter Rains pulled off a sensational steal to feed Peterson who was then fouled. The flurry left the teams tied at 44-44.
After Gentry used a Magana layup to get ahead 46-44 with 2 minutes left in the game, Wales swished a pair of free throws to re-tie it then pulled off a steal under Gentry's goal in the closing moments to help send the teams to their first overtime, tied at 46-all.
Wales scored the first goal in OT but Tomblin tied it shortly afterwards for the Pioneers. Two free throws by Peterson gave the Hawks a 50-48 lead and with close to a minute to play the Hawks were content with keeping the ball moving out front. Jackson messed up that strategy by stealing one of the passes then going down to score to tie it at 50-50.
Whatley then made a superb entry pass to Wales who scored and was fouled. Wales made the shot and the Hawks led 53-50 with 44 seconds left. Peterson added another free toss to put the Hawks in fine stead, leading 54-50 with 19 seconds left. The Pioneers needed a 3-pointer in the worst way and they got it from Jackson to reduce the lead to just 1. After some scrambling, Peterson was fouled with 5 seconds left and the senior guard coolly sank both for a 56-53 lead. To the Hawk fans' dismay, Tomblin shot in a trey at the buzzer to send the teams to overtime No. 2, tied at 56.
Bates scored first for Gentry for the lead but Wales scored in the paint and Peterson hit two more free shots for a 60-58 lead with 3 minutes left. Jackson hit a layup with Peterson countering with a short jumper but Tomblin's two free shots at the end, sending the teams into overtime No. 3, tied at 62.
Rains hit a short shot to start the next overtime, and after a Jackson shot, Whatley made a layup with Peterson adding a free throw with under a minute left to give Pea Ridge a 67-64 lead. Unfortunately for the Blackhawk faithful, the Pioneers again made the last score, using a trey from Tomblin to send the teams into overtime No. 4, tied at 67.
The two tiring teams had turnovers to start the OT, but Jackson and Magana made a free throw apiece to give the guests a 69-67 lead with less than 30 seconds left. The Hawks' leading scorer Peterson then made a move to the basket and when the defense collapsed on him, Peterson passed off to Whatley who easily made the layup to push the teams into the fateful fifth overtime.
It looked bad for the Hawks as leading scorer Peterson was whistled for his fifth foul on the opening tip. While the Pioneers may have thought the game was theirs with the exit of Peterson, the strategy of Wales dropping passes into Whatley from the perimeter disproved that as it netted the Hawks two goals and three free throws. The Pioneers' Magana hit a trey, layup and a free throw to keep Gentry close as they trailed 76-75 with 90 seconds left.
Bates made a trey for Gentry to get them ahead 78-76 with 1:13 to go, but Brewer answered that with a deep shot of his own to get the lead back at 79-78. In what may be the defensive play of the game, Wales pulled off a steal which led to a free throw made by Edwards. With the clock ticking under 10 seconds, Jackson went to the line for two shots. He made the first one, missed the second with the Hawks rebounding, maintaining control 'til the final buzzer.
Gentry outscored Pea Ridge 68-60 from the field but the Hawks won the game from the free throw line, hitting 20 of 24 (83%) while Gentry nailed 11 of 20 (55%).
Peterson led the scoring with 34 points, followed by Wales 16, Whatley 15, Edwards 8, Brewer 3, Harris 2 and Rains 2.
The Hawks opened the Central Arkansas Basketball Tournament with a game against the Bauxite Miners Thursday, Dec. 26. The Miners are currently 5-6 and ranked 28th in the state in the 4A class. The Hawks are currently ranked 17th with 7-3 mark. There will be a complete tournament review in the Jan. 8 edition of The TIMES.
Girls
Gentry Pioneers 35
Pea Ridge Blackhawks 34
The undefeated Lady Pioneers used perfection from the free throw line to upset the Lady Blackhawks in a fiercely fought game 35-34.
It looked from the outset that the Hawks may run off with the game, leading 8-0 with less than a minute left in the first period. The Pioneers tried taking the ball inside only to see their first few shots batted away. Junior Aidan Dayberry hit a trey for the Hawks with junior Blakelee Winn laying one in for another basket. Winn also made a pair of free shots with senior Alissa Short adding one of her own. Gentry closed the gap somewhat, as Meledy Owens hit a trey in the final seconds as the first buzzer sounded with the Hawks ahead 8-3.
Winn scored a rebound basket to start the second, with Short adding another charity toss as Pea Ridge surged ahead 11-3. Gentry's junior Jaiden Wilmoth a short jumper which Short matched with a score in the paint to raise the score to 13-5. Gentry's senior Heidi Vinson dropped in two free throws but Dayberry buried a 10-footer to maintain the 8-point edge. Senior Ahrya Reding scored from mid-range with Dayberry answering from downtown for a 18-9 Hawk lead. Reding scored again but Short drove in underneath for a score seconds later. Vinson made a pair of free shots with Winn ending first half scoring with a layup as Pea Ridge led 22-13 at the break. A telling stat was that while Pea Ridge and Gentry both made four shots, the Hawks missed four and Pioneers missed none.
The Hawks kept things under control for most of the third quarter with a trey, layup and shot underneath by Winn and a free throw by Short had the Hawks hanging on to a decent advantage, leading the game 30-20 with less that 3 minutes left in the third. Gentry's senior Ariel Nix had a trey and two free tosses and an underneath shot to prevent a blowout.
The Pioneers center junior Emily Toland, who had been quiet up to that point, erupted for a pair of buckets in the paint, adding a free throw. Along with Nix's 3-pointer, Gentry was quickly back in the game, trailing by 2, 30-28. A Dayberry rebound basket late in the quarter set the score at 32-28 with the final quarter looming.
Nix kept her hot hand, nailing a trey and short shot to push Gentry ahead 33-32 with 4 minutes left in the game. Sophomore Lauren Wright broke the scoring drought for Pea Ridge with a bucket at the 2:48 mark to get the Hawks back ahead 34-33. The teams fought back and forth with neither team being able to score. Finally a Hawk went to the line for a 1 and 1 with 21 seconds left. The shot was off, with Gentry rebounding, going down the floor to get the ball to Toland who was fouled underneath. Toland made both shots to put her team ahead 35-34 with 3 seconds left. The Hawks quickly drove the ball down the floor with a player getting fouled. Still in a 1 and 1 situation, the first shot was off, Gentry rebounded and game over.
For the game, Gentry was a perfect nine for nine from the line with the Hawks having an off night in that stat, sinking just five of 12 shots.
Winn led the Hawks with 15 points followed by Dayberry with 10, Short 7 and Wright 2.
The eighth-ranked 4A Lady Hawks were to play the No. 11 ranked 3A Rosebud Ramblers in Heber Spring Thursday, Dec. 26, in a Holiday Classic Tournament. They were to play either No. 44 ranked 3A DeWitt or 16th-ranked 4A Heber Springs Friday, Dec. 27, with a game on Saturday against either No. 3-ranked 3A Mayflower, No. 24-ranked 5A Sheridan, seventh-ranked 4A Southside, or No. 21-ranked 5A Green County Tech.
Sports on 01/01/2020