Marked Tree excels for 34 seconds

CARLISLE — Save for one 34-second stretch, Marked Tree didn’t play the kind of defense Coach Barbara Wilburn-Covington demands from the Indians.

But those 34 seconds in the third quarter put a smile on her face Tuesday afternoon at Carlisle High School.

Marked Tree (23-5) turned a 26-23 lead into a 32-23 advantage with three consecutive layups, two coming off steals from full-court pressure, and the Indians never looked back en route to a 57-44 victory over Eureka Springs in the first round of the Class 2A boys state basketball tournament.

“We just wanted to pick up the tempo,” Wilburn-Covington said of her team, which led 13-8 after one quarter and 20-18 at the half. “Our momentum wasn’t where it needed to be.”

Marked Tree leaned on its two most experienced players, Jack Brown and Trayvius Brown, who combined to score 12 of Marked Tree’s 16 third-quarter points. Wilburn-Covington said Jack Brown and Trayvius Brown are the only members of this year’s team to see significant playing time in last season’s run to the Class 2A title game, and their leadership showed in the third quarter.

Marked Tree led 36-30 after three quarters, but Eureka Springs got within three points early in the fourth quarter before the Indians pulled away again.

“Our defense just didn’t look as good as it needed to be,” she said.

It was good enough to end a 19-game winning streak by Eureka Springs (33-6). The Highlanders were 7 of 24 from the field in the first half, and didn’t do much better after that.

Jackson Cross (17 points) and Griffin Taylor (10 points) led the way, but no other Eureka Springs player scored more than six.

“I think being right up there on them,” Wilburn-Covington said of how Marked Tree’s pressure bothered Eureka Springs. “We knew they were going to be great shooters, and we wanted to show them some things they haven’t seen.”

Like the man-to-man fullcourt pressure used during the pivotal stretch.

“That was the turning point,” she said. “Our manto-man defense didn’t look like we needed it to look, and it’s something we’re going to have to work on.”

CLARENDON 68, FLIPPIN 30

Five Clarendon players scored at least nine points, and the Lions (20-9) kept adding to a 22-8 first-quarter lead in their first-round victory over Flippin (22-17).

Clarendon led 43-16 at halftime and 60-25 after three quarters.

Kevin Eason and Maalik Cartwright scored 11 points each for the Lions.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STATON BREIDENTHAL puts up a shot while being defended by Eureka Springs’ Carter Drennon on Tuesday at the Class 2A boys state tournament in Carlisle.