Cates’ buzzer beater tied score in third quarter
Pea Ridge 51, Farmington 46
The Hawks controlled the opening tip with senior Blakelee Winn dropping a layup to give the Hawks a quick 2-0 lead.
After the Cards tied it on a hook shot, junior Lauren Wright regained the lead via the charity stripe, and when senior Ravin Cawthon banked one in from underneath, the Hawks were leading 5-2 with 5:47 showing on the first quarter clock. At this point, the Cards began the first of many trips to the free throw line, 23 shots in all, as they tossed in four freebies to take a 6-5 lead.
Winn’s free throw knotted the score at 6-all, but then the Cards hit two medium range goals to go up 10-6. After a 2-minute lull, Farmington ripped a trey to jump out to a 13-6 lead, more than doubling up the score on the Hawks. Winn then hit a trey from the corner to shrink the lead with a last second 3-ball bomb by Wright paring the lead down to just 1 as the Hawks trailed 13-12 going into the second period.
Winn pulled off a steal, then converted it on a layup to get the lead back for Pea Ridge, scoring another layup a minute later to put the Hawks up 16-13 with 5 minutes left in the half. Wright’s free throws fattened the lead to 18-13. The Cards came back with a hook shot and then a shot from downtown to tie the contest at 18all with 3 minutes left.
Winn got loose for another layup and the Hawks were ahead by 2 in the final minute. The Cards then caught a break when a Cardinal ball handler slipped and fell with an out of position referee calling a foul on the Hawks. The Cards, who made 21 of 23 for the night from the line, hit both shots to tied the score at 20-20. An unfortunate foul against the Hawks came with 2 seconds left, allowing the Cards the chance to take a 2-point lead at the break. They made good and led 22-20 at the break.
The Hawks came out cold from intermission, with a trey by Winn the only offense generated in the quarter’s first 4:17. The Cards took advantage of the Hawks’ difficulties, hitting five of six free throws, a layup and a trey to break out ahead 32-23 as the visitors sensed the defending state champions were about to take over the game.
A Neal timeout, and a new resolve by the Hawks turned the tables fairly quickly with senior Aidan Dayberry and Winn slashing through for layups and nearly cut the lead in half at 32-27 with 3:11 left in the quarter.
After the Cards made two more free shots, one of the most interesting plays of the game played out. With the ball bouncing towards the out of bounds line, Cawthon caught up to it at the line, heaving the ball over her head back towards the goal. Sophomore Sydney Spears alertly redirected the ball to Winn in the lane, who then laid it off the glass for a score, getting back to within 5 at 34-29.
After losing possession to the Hawks, the Cardinals didn’t pick up Cawthon who was open on the arc, and the senior forward dropped in a trey to get the Hawks to within 2 at 34-32 with 30 seconds left. Farmington ripped a free throw with 6 seconds left to push the lead back to 3, but as Cates crossed the half court line and seeing the clock nearing zero, the junior guard let fly with a very deep shot, which went through the net as the buzzer sounded, tying the score at 35-35 and giving a huge boost to the Blackhawk faithful.
The Hawks broke out on top early in the fourth with Winn scoring on a rebound shot, adding a free throw to put Pea Ridge ahead 38-35. Farmington responded with a layup but Wright equaled that with two free throws at the 5-minute mark, keeping the Hawks ahead by 3. At this point, Winn trapped a Cardinal point guard in the corner, swiping the ball and outrunning the defense to lay in another goal and give the
Hawks their largest lead of the game at 42-37 with 4:55 left in the game.
The visitors weren’t going to go down easy, and they fought back with a trey and two free throws to tie the game again, 4242 with 3:15 left. Twenty seconds later, Cates struck again with a 3-ball to restore the Hawks’ lead at 45-42.
Farmington dropped in two freebies, but Winn answered with two of her own as Pea Ridge kept their lead at 3 — 47-44.
The Cards then turned the ball over twice, and the second time, the Hawks took advantage with a Winn layup to post a 49-44 lead with 1:16 remaining.
The Hawks got the ball back after a missed Cardinal shot with the clock under a minute, and the guests fouled a Hawk ball handler. Though the front end of the one and one was missed, the Hawks controlled the rebound and continued to melt the clock. Winn hit the first of the one and one and a 50-44 lead, nearly icing the game with 24 seconds left.
The Cardinals could not penetrate the Hawk defense, though finally they drew a foul with 8 seconds left. The Card shooter made both of them, and the guests immediately fouled Winn on the throw in. With six seconds left, Winn scored the final point of the game in a 51-46 conquest of rival Farmington.
Winn led all scorers with 30 points, with Wright picking up 8, Cates 6, Cawthon 5 and Dayberry 2.
The 20-4 Blackhawks are scheduled to play at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 3, in the opening round of the Northern Regional at Ozark High School. They are slated to take on the Dardanelle Sand Lizards (4-18).
Should they win, they will play Thursday morning in the semifinals against the winner of Harrison (171) and Ozark (16-8). Finals are set for Saturday.