Davis’ late basket enough for Titans

5A-CENTRAL BOYS

JACKSONVILLE 55, MAUMELLE 53

Jacksonville senior guard and University of Arkansas commitment Davonte Davis hit a 17-foot jumper with 2.1 seconds left to break a tie with Maumelle on Friday night.

It was only after Maumelle senior guard Tre Flowers’ 40-foot attempt at the buzzer bounced off the backboard and rim that Jacksonville’s 55-53 victory was secure at Maumelle’s Hornet Gymnasium.

Davis’ game-winner was made over the tight coverage and the extended arms of Maumelle senior guard Jayvain Menifee positioned inches away.

Jacksonville Coach Victor Joyner called the play during a timeout with 17.2 seconds left.

“We just wanted to run it and have a chance with the last shot,” Joyner said. “We just wanted to have a chance to win it on their court, so we got it in Davis’ hands. He’s a good decision-maker, and did what he had to do oneon-one.”

Junior guard Braxton Brown tossed a short pass to Davis, who moved clockwise around the three-point arc with five seconds left.

Davis dribbled toward the basket and stopped short of Menifee. His shot went through as Joyner said he assumed it would.

“He’s a Division I kid for a reason,” Maumelle Coach Michael Shook said. “He’s super talented. He’s got good court vision. He can knock down shots. He’s athletic. He handles the ball better on the floor than just about anybody, and he showed right there he’s clutch.”

After Davis’ basket, Menifee tossed an inbound pass to Flowers who was left with no more than a heave between two Jacksonville players.

Three-pointers on consecutive possessions by junior guard Braxton Brown and senior forward D’ivorion Moss gave Jacksonville a 50-44 lead with 3:48 left in the game, but Jacksonville (10-4, 6-0 5A-Central) hit one of its next five free throws, including the front end of three consecutive one-andone chances.

“We had a chance to ice it up, and we missed them all,” Joyner said. “But we’ll take what happened. This was a big one for us.”

Maumelle (14-5, 4-2) took advantage to tie the score at 53-53 on two free throws by Menifee with 20.1 seconds left.

Maumelle junior forward Darvis Rasberry scored four points in the first four minutes to help give the Hornets an early 8-2 lead, but Jacksonville quickly responded.

After a three-pointer by Flowers gave Maumelle an 11-4 advantage with 3:21 left in the first quarter, the Titans followed with an eight-point run and led 12-11 after Davis’ layup with 42 seconds remaining.

Jacksonville’s lead was 16-13 after senior guard Jalen Taylor’s layup early in the second quarter. The Titans’ largest first-half lead, 25-20, came after Taylor’s layup with 50 seconds left in the second quarter, but a three-pointer by sophomore guard Carl Daughtery put Maumelle within 25-23 at halftime.

“It was a good basketball game, man,” Joyner said. “It was a good game between two good teams.”

GIRLS JACKSONVILLE 72, MAUMELLE 59

Sophomore forward Da’kariya Jackson scored 21 points to lead Jacksonville over the Maumelle Hornets.

Sophomore forward Brooklyn Roland scored 13 for Jacksonville (10-8, 5-1 5A-Central). Junior forward Ariel Morant added 12.

Junior guard Kennedi Borkins led Maumelle (6-14, 2-4) with 20 points, while junior guard Rhyan Curtis chipped in 12.