Parkview turns to its defense late
5A-CENTRAL BOYS LITTLE ROCK PARKVIEW 62, LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN 49
Little Rock Parkview didn’t shoot the ball well at times Friday night, so Coach Scotty Thurman asked his team’s defense to pick up the offense.
Tied after three quarters, Parkview outscored Little Rock Christian 9-0 in the first 3:13 of the fourth quarter and never looked back en route to a 62-49 5A-Central victory at Little Rock Christian’s Warrior Arena.
Parkview (11-3, 2-0) scored more points in the final eight minutes — 23 — than it did in the second and third quarters combined.
“At certain times, it looks like it’s supposed to look,” Thurman said of the Patriots’ defense. “At other times, it doesn’t.”
Thurman said Parkview strives to be a multi-dimensional team on defense, but he said he thought the Patriots could use full-court pressure to their advantage against Little Rock Christian.
“We try to get the tempo going in our favor, try to speed the game up,” Thurman said. “We know they didn’t have a lot of ball-handlers.”
Thurman said the game plan was not to allow 6-8 center Little Rock Christian center Creed Williamson to get the ball inside.
“We wanted to negate him as much as possible,” Thurman said.
Williamson ended up with 10 points, with one basket and 8 of 12 at the free-throw line.
Little Rock Christian Coach Clarence Finley said the physical nature of the game favored the Patriots, and he said it was the reason Williamson was unable to get inside.
“They were a little more physical with their hands than we were,” Finley said of Parkview. “And the referees let ‘em play, but they let ‘em play on both ends, so I can’t complain.
“They get up under you. They’re small. They were letting them play, and that was the difference in the ballgame.”
Landren Blocker led Little Rock Christian (9-4, 1-1) with 26 points, including 17 in the second half.
Parkview, which shuttled players in and out throughout, was led by Nate Coley’s 13 points.
Coley scored nine of his team-high 13 points in the second half, and was 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
Big men Dallas Thomas and Cam Wallace scored 10 each, with Thomas scoring all of his points in the first half and Wallace scoring 8 of his 10 in the fourth quarter.
Thurman said he was particularly pleased with Carson Bachus, who came off the bench to score all nine of his points in the fourth quarter.
“I like the fact that we finished up strong,” Thurman said. “I like the fact that we had a few guys stepped up for us down the stretch.”
Parkview had its rhythm early, bolting to an 18-9 first quarter lead, but the Patriots’ lead shrunk to 25-24 at halftime after 3-of-13 shooting in the second quarter.
The game was tied at 3939 after three quarters.
Finley said the Warriors were slowed a bit without 6-5 junior Cooper Longworth, who is one of the Warriors’ most aggressive players.
“They gave us the best effort they could,” Finley said of his team. “There was just some decision-making down the stretch, And also, with them playing physical and active, we didn’t totally match it.”
GIRLS
LR CHRISTIAN 67, LR PARKVIEW 62
Junior guard Mia Smith hit 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter, and the Lady Warriors needed all of them to hold off Parkview.
Smith finished with 16 points, as did Ashley Hopper, to lead Little Rock Christian (12-2, 2-0 in 5A Central).
Parkview (4-9, 1-1) was led by Jasmine Davis, who scored 18 points and Jordan Gregory, who had 17.
Katelyn Young scored 13 points, 11 in the second half, for Little Rock Christian. Ashton Elley added 11.