Lions hold off Patriots to collect third in tourney
After falling to eventual champion Pulaski County earlier in the day, Gospel Light claimed a third-place finish in the Tournament of Champions with a 48-44 win over the Fort Smith Patriots Wednesday afternoon at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
Trailing 36-35 late in the third quarter, senior guard Zo Capaci gave the Lions a lead entering the final frame with a 3-pointer from beyond halfcourt as time expired.
Fort Smith flashed its range in the fourth quarter with Ethan Green and Sean Taylor each connecting on a shot from behind the arc, but Capaci scored eight points down the stretch to lead the Lions to victory.
Gospel Light’s Joshua Porter scored four points in the opening period to give the Lions a slim 9-6 lead. Withstanding four points from Green, Capaci and Logan Frye combined for nine points in the second quarter as Gospel Light stretched its lead to 2014 at the half.
Struggling to find a rhythm in the first half, the Patriots heated up offensively in the third quarter to get back in the game. Taylor buried two
3-pointers, while Matthew Melton scored eight points as Fort Smith erupted for 22 points in the third period.
Porter and Capaci combined for 12 points to give the Lions a 38-36 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Capaci led all scorers with
23 points, while Porter finished with nine points and Frye scored eight points. Melton paced Fort Smith with
12 points, and Taylor had nine points on three shots from behind the arc.
Racing to a 23-12 lead in
the first quarter, the Pulaski County Flames made quick work of tournament host Gospel Light in the semifinals.
Pulaski County extended its lead to 43-27 at the half and 56-39 after three quarters before coasting to victory in the final period.
Christian Greer scored a team-high 17 points for the Flames, while Hudson Likens added 15 points and Jeremy Elmquist chipped in with 13 points to give Pulaski County a balanced attack offensively.
Frye led all scorers with 19 points for the Lions, including five shots from behind the arc. Capaci finished with 13 points, and junior Jacob Duta had 11 points for Gospel Light.
Pulaski County later won the championship match over Christian Ministries Academy, Elmquist connecting on an off-balance 3-pointer as time expired to give the Flames a thrilling 78-77 victory.
Eric Capaci, pastor of Gospel Light Baptist Church and president of Champion Christian College, called the tournament a huge success.
“Tuesday night ended with a double overtime college basketball game between two hometown college teams, and Wednesday night ended with a buzzer-beating winning shot that allowed Pulaski County home-school to defeat Christian Ministries,” he said. “It was honestly one of the greatest endings of any game I’ve ever seen.
“What more could any tournament host ask for, but for two great games to finish both nights. Everybody definitely got the money’s worth.”
Gospel Light and Champion Christian College will continue to host the Tournament of Champions next season on Jan. 2–3, 2019, at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
“I heard someone say when they left the arena Wednesday night that it was some of the best basketball games they had seen in a while,” Eric Capaci said. “I think what they meant was it was super fun to watch close games and a great atmosphere. We are looking forward to next year and are excited to see how this rivalry between Champion and National Park College will grow.”