Tap in time, tips balance to England
HOT SPRINGS — Brandon Thompson won the tap Saturday afternoon to give England its first state championship in boys basketball.
Thompson tapped away a last-second inbound pass by Junction City at the buzzer to secure England’s 64-62 victory in the Class 2A state championship game at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
“I just didn’t want them to dunk on my head,” Thompson said. “When they threw the ball inbounds, it was just instinct.”
Tyrik Harris made two free throws with 12 seconds remaining to give England the lead before Thompson’s defensive play sealed it. Harris led England with 23 points.
“We knew the whole city of England would be behind us,” Harris said. “They have been encouraging us all week to go out and get us a ring.”
Junction City led by as much as 35-30 with 5:39 left in the third quarter, but England battled back. Harris’ 18-footer with 4:21 left in the quarter gave England a 37-36 lead. The Lions put together a 10-2 run, keyed by an offensive putback and a three-point play by Thompson, to take a 47-38 lead, but Keyundra Evans dunked and Jamario Bell scored on two consecutive layups to pull Junction City within 49-45 going into the fourth quarter.
England extended its lead to 57-51 in the fourth quarter, but Junction City rallied to get within 57-56 on a three-point play by Randall Holyfield with 3:52 remaining.
England remained in front 61-58 on two free throws by Thompson and a layup from Harris. Junction City fought back again and had an opportunity to tie the game at 62-62 with 30 seconds to play but missed five consecutive shots around the basket.
England’s Monte Toney missed the front end of a oneand-one opportunity with 24 seconds remaining, which allowed the Dragons to tie it on a layup by Holyfield with 16 seconds remaining before Harris’ free throws gave England a 64-62 lead with 12 seconds remaining.
Junction City had a chance to win it and worked the ball to Bell, but his shot from 13 feet rimmed out with 2.6 seconds left to play. A jump ball on the rebound gave the ball back to England on alternating possession. The Lions turned the ball over on the inbound play to give the Dragons their final opportunity that Thompson tapped away.
“We worked on that play for nearly 10 minutes the other day,” Junction City Coach Kendall Hutcheson said. “I really didn’t want to call a timeout for them to let them set up, and we knew what we were doing. We ran the play right.
“The pass was a little shorter than what we wanted and he couldn’t get a hand on it, but if the pass is 2 feet further Jamario probably has an uncontested layup.”
England Coach Tyler Scott said he was proud of the determination his players showed throughout the season and down the stretch Saturday.
“At the end of last season when they were put out in the semifinals, they set their goal of getting a state title this year,” Scott said. “They have been fighting and working ever since. I’m just extremely proud of them.”
Harris made 8 of 14 field goals and 5 of 6 free throws and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Scott said he wasn’t surprised his guard had such a big game.
“I could tell by the look on his face for the last couple of days that he was expecting to have a big game,” Scott said. “Tyrik was focused, and he was going to be ready.
“Heart defines this group. They are going to fight and not take a loss. They keep fighting for everything. They’ve had as big a heart as I’ve ever coached.”
Thompson finished with 18 points and Toney added 14 for England, which had 11 steals in the game.