Mills passes test in final minute

MILLS 66, LITTLE ROCK McCLELLAN 62

MAGNOLIA — Mills showed its championship mettle down the stretch.

The Comets, behind senior Branton McCrary’s 19 points, advanced to the Class 4A boys state championship game with a 66-62 semifinal victory over Little Rock McClellan on Saturday at Panther Arena.

Mills (27-4), which has won 18 consecutive games and has not lost to a Class 4A team this season, will play in its third consecutive title game this week in Hot Springs. The Comets defeated Little Rock Parkview in the 2017 Class 5A final, but lost to the Patriots in last year’s title game.

“It’s everything,” Mills Coach Raymond Cooper said. “That’s the goal. When you get in these moments, they weren’t in awe. We didn’t panic.”

Senior Kevin Cross finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Comets, who shot 21 of 32 from the floor.

Mills’ Orion Virden, a senior, tied the game at 6262 with 2:09 remaining after making one of two free throws.

McClellan then held the ball for the next 1:19 before Coach Chris Threatt called timeout with 50.9 seconds left. Crimson Lions senior James Nichols was called for a five-second violation for not getting the ball inbounds. Threatt wanted to call timeout during the play, but he did not get it.

During the timeout before the five-second call, Cooper told his team he wanted one more stop.

“They looked at each other and they said, ‘Coach, we’re going to go get them,’ ” Cooper said.

Mills took advantage, with McCrary going to the basket for a layup and a 6462 lead with 34 seconds left.

McClellan had an opportunity to take the lead, but senior Elijah Green was called for an offensive foul with 25.1 seconds remaining. Virden was fouled on Mills’ next possession, and he hit two free throws with 14.8 seconds left for a 66-62 lead.

Threatt said he was disappointed with how the game ended.

“I would have liked to have seen Mills and McClellan decide the game,” Threatt said. “I thought for the last 50.7 seconds, the kids weren’t making plays. The referees were.

“When you play a game that went back and forth like that and your last memories are a five-second call and a charge call, that’s not the kids deciding the game. That’s a tough way to end.”

Cooper credited his team with keeping its poise late in the fourth quarter, especially with four players (McCrary, Virden, Cross and senior Tyran Wright) playing with four fouls.

“We didn’t play smart for about 30 minutes, but I’m glad we played smart for two minutes,” Cooper said. “We just made one or two plays at the end.”

Mills led 36-26 at halftime, but McClellan pulled within 48-47 before the end of the third quarter and went ahead 62-61 with 2:20 remaining on Green’s basket.

Green and senior Ian Robinson led McClellan (249) with 15 points apiece.