Blackhawks battle in District Tourney
Having to wait until the fourth day of the 4A-1 district tournament to start play, the boys from the Ridge displayed a little rust in the beginning but caught fire to race to a 4A-1 District Tournament Championship in fine fashion. The Hawks inched ahead of host Prairie Grove, gradually building a commanding lead to eventually win 40-28, then they came out on fire in the finals to blow past Berryville 68-56 in the finals to grab a No. 1
seed for the regionals.
“We came out and competed well, shared the ball very well, and played a great all around game.” coach Trent Loyd said. “We were clicking on all cylinders and played well as a team.”
Berryville’s Bobcats were thunderstruck in the first period when
the hot shooting Hawks buried them under a flurry of deep shots and layups.
The Hawks’ Wes Wales started things rolling with a layup seconds into the contest. Berryville answered but Brandon Whatley ripped a trey from the corner for a 5-2 lead early. The Bobcats got another 2-pointer in response but Noah Peterson hit his first trey for a 8-4 lead. Hunter Rains traded layups with the ’Cats as the score was 10-6 midway in the quarter.
Whatley then buried another trey with Rains throwing in one of his own and suddenly the Hawks were up by 10, 16-6 with about 2 minutes left in the quarter. Greydon Edwards ripped a free throw with Rains scoring off a rebound to pump the lead to 19-6 with a minute to go. Berryville then scored underneath, but Whatley’s heads up pass to
Wales in the paint led to a score with Rains’ layup in the closing seconds of the first quarter quieting the raucous Berryville crowd as Pea Ridge led 23-8.
Berryville scored the first three points of the second period but Peterson erased that good feeling with a trey to restore the Hawks’ 15 point lead at 26-11. The ’Cats then dropped in a layup but Edwards scored on a rebound shot with Peterson driving in for a layup, adding a free throw on an ensuing foul, which inflated the
lead to 31-13, an 18-point margin.
The Bobcats called time, and it helped as they promptly scored underneath then converted four of four free throws to slice the advantage to 31-19 with 3 minutes left in the half. Peterson’s third trey shot temporarily stopped the rally as Pea Ridge led 3419. However, the Bobcats scored the last 6 points of the quarter to narrow the gap to 34-25 by the break.
The Hawks sent the Bobcats reeling early in the third quarter, with Rains opening the scoring with a quick trey then seeing Peterson throwing s bullet pass to Wales than netted an easy basket inside putting the Hawks ahead by 14 leading 39-25. However, the Bobcats were rolling over as they hit their own trey and two free throws to get the lead back under 10 at 39-30.
A Whatley bucket and free throw along with a Wales’ layup offset Berryville scores to bump the lead to 10, 44-34. Whatley then came up with a goal and free throw and after Rains threw a long looping pass to Wales than netted another score, the Pea Ridge faithful breathed a sigh of relief as Pea Ridge was on top leading 49-34 with 2 minutes left in the quarter.
Whatley’s rebound score matched a Bobcat score, and after a ’Cat sank a deep trey, Whatley scored down low with Rains laying one off the glass for a 55-39 lead with less than a minute showing in the third. Jared Brewer’s late trey before quarter’s end seemed to seal the Bobcats’ fate as the Hawk lead grew to 57-39.
Whatley’s hook shot to start the final quarter sent the Hawks up by 20 over the Pirates, leading 59-39. Another Berryville score was quickly offset by another bucket by Peterson leaving the score at 61-41 with 5 minutes left in the game.
The next two minutes became a free throw shooting contest with the Bobcats out shooting the Hawks 8-5 from the line as Pea Ridge led 66-50. After Peterson’s last score which came at the 2-minute mark, both teams subbed liberally for the rest of the game. This allowed the ’Cats to score the last 6 points and shave the final margin to 68-56.
Peterson and Whatley both led the scoring with 18 points each. Edwards had 14, Wales 11, Rains 5 and Brewer 2.