McCrary, Mills top Blytheville in 4A-East

HIGHLAND — After starting the tournament with a near disaster, the Mills Comets finished up as the champions on Saturday, defeating the Blytheville Chickasaws 63-58 in the title game of the Class 4A East Regional at A.L. Huston Memorial Center.

Mills won arguably the toughest boys’ regional in the state as four of the top six teams in Class 4A participated. But the Comets nearly exited the tourney on Wednesday against the Brookland Bearcats before scoring the last eight points of the game for a 53-46 victory.

Branton McCrary led the Comets (26-4) with 23 points. Kevin Cross added 18 and Orion Virden finished with 13 points.

Blytheville (20-6) picked up 17 points from Deveon Smith, 16 from Winston Peace and Jaquon Fowler with 10.

Both teams held a 5-point leads in the first half but the score was tied 26-26 at intermission. Mills scored the first four points of the second half but Smith converted a four-point play for Blythville to tie the game at 30. The teams traded buckets until the Comets took a 46-44 lead into the fourth quarter.

Blytheville led 47-46 on a three-pointer by Jaquon Fowler but Mills scored the next four, including a three-pointer by Virden with 6:56 left put the Comets up 50-47.

The Chickasaws cut it to one then Virden scored and McCrary hit two free throws for a 54-49 lead. Blytheville cut it back to two twice but Mills scored with 1:33 left and got a bucket from Tyran Wright with 50 seconds remaining to increase the Comets’ lead to six, 60-54.

It was 61-55 when Fowler hit a three-pointer to cut it to 61-58. Each team took a timeout before McCrary was sent to the free-throw line with 18 seconds left, making both tosses for a 63-58 lead. Blytheville attempted one last three-pointer that missed the mark.

Earlier on Saturday, Little Rock McClellan defeated Jonesboro Westside 65-60 to earn the third seed.