Duggar a menace on multiple surfaces

CLASS 3A

HARDING ACADEMY 55, CENTRAL ARK. CHRISTIAN 43

CLINTON — Ty Duggar is known for his exploits on the football field for Harding Academy’s reigning championship squad.

On Saturday, he helped the school’s basketball team advance to the semifinals of the Class 3A boys state tournament.

Duggar, a muscular 6-foot forward with a quick first step, scored 24 points — including 12 of the Wildcats’ 14 points in the fourth quarter — to lead Harding Academy to a 55-43 victory over Central Arkansas Christian.

Duggar has been a mainstay in the Wildcats’ football program during its run to two consecutive state titles, and basketball Coach Brad Francis said he is OK with waiting until mid-to-late December to get the services of Duggar, quarterback Caden Sipe and lineman Adam Fager.

“One thing is they’ve been in big games,” Francis said.

“They don’t get rattled by stuff. They seem to rise to the occasion.”

Duggar rose up Saturday, making 8 of 12 free throws with the Wildcats trying to maintain their lead in a game where they were up 27-24 at halftime and 41-37 after three quarters.

“He’s just a good athlete,” CAC Coach Matt Hall said. “He had a great year in football, and he’s having a great year in basketball.”

As good as Duggar was, Hall pointed to a five-possession sequence in the third quarter when the Mustangs had a chance to seize control of the game.

“We talk about a swing point,” Hall said. “For us, not stretching it out in the third was kind of the swing point.”

Francis said for all the good Duggar did on the offensive end, it’s his strength and aggressiveness on the defensive end that’s a real difference-maker.

Francis hemmed a bit when asked whether Duggar, who is headed to Harding University to play football next fall, could play basketball at the college level.

“But,” Francis said, “he’s the best defensive player I’ve coached in 32 years, and there’s nobody close.”

Fager, a lineman in football and presence inside on the basketball team, had 10 points.

Central Arkansas Christian (16-8) was led by 16 points from Steven Massey and 13 points by Jackson Richmond.

Andrew Haughaboo, who scored 25 in CAC’s victory over Cedarville on Thursday, got in foul trouble and finished with eight points.

Hall said he thought Harding Academy’s defense — and his team’s lack of defense at crucial times — came into play.

“They did a really good job defending us, and we knew they would,” Hall said. “We had a couple of breakdowns, where Duggar took it from 4 to 8, and we never really recovered.”

A side plot to Saturday’s game was the matchup between two institutions affiliated with the Church of Christ. Nobody seems to remember the last time they played on the basketball court, but both coaches agreed it was good competition.

“I hate losing terribly,” said CAC’s Hall, who remains No. 2 on the all-time scoring list at Harding University. “But I love those guys.”

MCGEHEE 58, WALDRON 56, 2 OTS

David Moore hit a jumper at the freethrow line with 1.1 seconds to play in the second overtime to lift the Owls (18-4) to a comeback victory over the Bulldogs (26-7).

McGehee advanced to Monday night’s 7 p.m semifinal against Harding Academy, which defeated Central Arkansas Christian earlier in the day.

Waldron (26-7) led 27-22 at halftime, 34-27 after three quarters and 40-31 with 3:43 to play when McGehee started its rally.

Gavlen Wagner scored the game’s first 11 points for Waldron and finished with 21, but he missed several layups after twisting around McGehee defenders in the final minutes. Wagner’s last miss rolled off the rim as time expired in regulation with the scored tied at 48-48.

McGehee scored first in overtime, but Jaden Hutchens — who finished with 21 — tied the game at 52-52 with less than 50 seconds to play.

The game was tied 56-56 with two minutes to play in the second overtime when the Owls decided to work for the final shot. Moore held the ball at midcourt and made his move with six seconds, knifing into the lane, stepping back and hitting a 15-foot shot with 1.1 seconds left.

Waldron tried to throw a half-court pass after calling two timeouts, but it could not get off a shot.

McGehee’s Andreas Jordan led all scorers with 23 points. Jabrien Jordan scored 13, including 3 three-point baskets.