Comets roll behind third-quarter surge
CLASS 4A
MILLS 73, JONESBORO WESTSIDE 59 RICK FIRES
FARMINGTON — Mills used a third-quarter surge to eliminate Jonesboro Westside on Thursday.
Mills began the second half with a 15-0 run en route to a 73-59 victory over the Warriors in the Class 4A boys state tournament at Cardinal Arena.
Sophomore Maziyah Curry came off the bench and scored 16 points to lead the Comets (24-9), who advanced to face host Farmington in a semifinal game at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Marshall Walls added 14 points and Zaylin Rowland 12 for Mills, which outscored Jonesboro Westside 24-10 in the third quarter.
“[Curry] was instrumental on both ends of the court tonight,” Mills Coach Raymond Cooper said. “He’s started some games, but he’s playing the sixth-man role because we need him to. He guarded well, he attacked and he was locked in. It was a big night for him and we needed it.”
Jonesboro Westside, which made 10 three-pointers in a 53-52 win over Ozark in a firstround game, used its outside shooting to stay close with Mills in the first half. The Comets only led by two at halftime after a steal and a layup by Rowland.
The shots stopped falling for Jonesboro Westside in the third quarter and Mills took over with its ability to drive to the basket and rebound missed shots.
“Their athleticism and their ability to get on the glass caused us a lot of problems,” Jonesboro Westside Coach Mark Whitmire said. “They’re a very good basketball team. You’ve got to give them credit. But my guys had a great year and they fought hard.”
There was a sequence in the third quarter where Mills added nine points in about three minutes of play. The surge started when Curry was bumped hard while making a three-pointer from the corner. Curry missed the free throw, but Chauncey Hayes scored off the rebound. Curry converted a steal into a layup and Hayes scored again to put the Comets ahead 40-29.
Weston Honeycutt scored 21 points and Eli Whitmire had 13 to lead Jonesboro Westside (24-8).
Both teams got up and down the court in a hurry in the first half with Westside getting plenty of production with its three-point shooting. Honeycutt had 12 points in the first half while working outside and going aggressively to the basket.
FARMINGTON 53, MAGNOLIA 40
Layne Taylor scored 16 of his 28 points in the first half to lead Farmington past Magnolia.
Jaxon Berry added 15 points for the Cardinals (34-2), who led 27-10 at halftime and 44-28 after three quarters.
Rodreous Young had 16 points to lead Magnolia (25-3). Junior Williams, who had 18 points in Magnolia’s 57-52 win over Joe T. Robinson on Wednesday, was held to four points against Farmington.
Magnolia managed only two free throws in the first quarter and the Panthers were held to without a field goal until Ahmad Davis connected on a short jumper 40 seconds into the second quarter. Magnolia scored only five field goals in the first half while falling behind by 17 points.