BASKETBALL: Blackhawks maintain grip on conference with two wins

to sink a pair of layups to offset a lone shot by West Fork as the first period ended with Pea Ridge on top 16-13.

After Coble hit his third straight layup to start the second period, Rose ripped the ’Hawks’ first trey of the evening as Pea Ridge shot ahead 21-13 with 4:54 left in the half. The healthy lead dissipated rather quickly, though, after West Fork scored six quick points on a trey and a bucket with an accompanying free throw.

Carson Rhine gave the ’Hawks some breathing room with a pair of freebies and a trey to get the ’Hawks further ahead 26-19 with 3:16 left in the half. In the last 90 seconds, the Tigers racked up a free throw, offensive put back and a trey to make a run but a 3-ball by Landon Allison and two for two free throw shooting by Holtgrewe kept the guests at bay as Pea Ridge led 31-25 at the break.

The ’Hawks scored the first basket of the third quarter (layup by Holtgrewe) and the last basket of the period (layup by Rhine) but that was all the offense the ’Hawks could muster as the Tigers made a decided run for the lead and a possible upset victory. The visitors scored 10 unanswered points to take a 35-33 lead with 0:41 left in the third before Rhine’s shot sent the teams into the last quarter deadlocked at 35-35.

Allison gave the ’Hawks a big lift by starting the quarter off with a 3-pointer, though the Tigers answered the score with a layup to keep it tight at 38-37. Hayden Holtgrewe then slashed through the defense to attempt a layup before getting fouled. The senior guard coolly swished both shots, then raced in to steal the in-bounds pass after the last shot, getting fouled in the process. Holtgrewe canned both shots as the home folks could feel the tide turning with the ’Hawks leading 4237 with 6 minute left.

A swarming Blackhawk defense then knocked the ball loose which led to an Allison layup and 44-37 lead. Shortly afterwards, Feemster hit a free throw with Allison dropping in a layup and the free throw that came with it. With Feemster converting another two free throws with 2:23 left, the ’Hawks were now safely ahead 50-37.

West Fork eventually broke their 5-minute scoring drought with a free throw, but Feemster went back to the line, getting both shots to go to ice the game, leading 52-38 with 2 minutes left. West Fork did manage to sink one more field goal in the waning moments for the final 52-40 score.

Allison led the scoring with 11, with Holtgrewe and Mahoney both getting 9, Rhine 7, Coble 6, while Rose and Feemster rounded out the scoring with 5 each.

Pea Ridge 64, Elkins 35

The Blackhawks were as hot Saturday night as they were cold Friday as they torched the Elkins Elks from the outside to win going away.

The Elks were 20-point victors over West Fork in earlier action, but if the Elks thought that the ’Hawks were going to shoot like they did against their Washington County rivals Friday, they would soon be disappointed.

Pea Ridge poured through a school record tying 17 3-pointers, the total of which outscored the Elks’ entire offensive output 51-35.

The game’s leading scorer, Nick Coble, hit a trey and two other field goals to pace the ’Hawks in the early going. Kobe Rose and Hayden Holtgrewe both drained a trey with Holtgrewe and Mike Mahoney both scoring 2-point goals as the ’Hawks raced out to an 18-9 first quarter lead.

With the ’Hawk defenders limiting the Elks to just 7 points in the second quarter, it was bombs away for the hosts as they jammed through a whopping five 3-balls in the period. Four separate ’Hawks hit from behind the arc, with Holtgrewe connecting twice. Landon Allison, Coble, and Rose each dropped in a trey with Will Feemster finishing the score with a field goal as the ’Hawks were firmly ahead 3516 at the intermission.

The ’Hawks, who started the game hot, got hotter in the second period, then were blazing hot in the third quarter. Four ’Hawks shot through an amazing seven 3-pointers. Coble had three of the treys with Rose hitting two of them with Allison and Holtgrewe having solo shots. Wesley Wales scored on the inside to complete the scoring as Pea Ridge threatened to turn the game into a rout, leading 58-27 with a quarter left to play.

Reserves on both sides came off the benches for the final period with the ’Hawks coming up with two more 3-pointers to tie the school record. Chase Duncan and Braeden Kennedy hit their treys with Elkins scoring but one field goal in the final period albeit a 3-pointer. The Elks also got to the line seven times, hitting five of them for their final scores.

While tying the score record for most treys in a game, the ’Hawks may have also set a record by shooting but a single free throw in the entire contest. Holtgrewe converted a free throw in the first period, the only shot the ’Hawks would get for the evening.

Coble led all scorers with 19, followed by Holtgrewe 15, Rose 12, Allison 6, Duncan 3, Kennedy 3, Mahoney 2, and Feemster 2.