Benton, Pine Bluff tangle for crown
Benton’s boys team has used a fairly simple strategy this season, and it’s gotten it to a place it hasn’t been in 16 years.
“We’ve really just tried to get better every day,” said Benton Coach Dexter Hendrix, whose Panthers will be playing in a state final today for the first time since 2008 when they play Pine Bluff at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. “I know it just sounds like coaches talk, but it’s so true. You just really try to get better, whether it’s in practice or if it’s in a conference game. And I’ve been really proud of our guys for the maturity they’ve shown to try to do that throughout the season.
“They’ve really taken in to coaching, really taken in to the film room to what we do on the floor … just really strive to get better. It hasn’t always been pretty every game, though.”
The Panthers’ play has looked and been good enough to put them on the cusp of winning their first state championship, but they’ve got a tall hill to climb in order to that.
Defending Class 5A champion Pine Bluff (23-6) has caught fire at just the right time and have all the motivation it needs to walk from today’s game with a second straight state title.
The Zebras have lost three times since Dec. 29, and two of those were nine-point defeats to Benton (29-4). Pine Bluff’s other loss was to Lake Hamilton on Jan. 23, but it got a measure of revenge from the Wolves during the state semifinals when it pulled off an 85-82 victory in double overtime.
“They’re the state champs,” Hendrix said of the Zebras, who beat Lake Hamilton in last season’s final as well. “They’ve got great tradition, but I think it starts with their coach, Coach [Billy] Dixon. He’s just a really good basketball coach, a really good person who does a great job with his program.
“Those guys play really hard on both ends of the floor, and they’re very physical. I think everybody knows that, especially when you watch them play.”
That physicality was on display in the teams’ previous meeting Feb. 9. Benton managed to pull away for a 59-50 win after holding Pine Bluff without a point over the final four minutes.
It’s not a guarantee that the rubber match will be similar to that game or the first one — a 66-57 Panthers victory on Jan. 9 — but Hendrix said he is sure that he’s going to get the best effort out of his team, particularly because it’s been quite some time since Benton has gotten to this point.
“The kids are really, really excited obviously,” he said. “A lot of people are excited actually, and it’s not just our basketball team. The administration, other kids at the school, it’s just been a lot of support, a lot of encouragement. It’s been really neat to see.”
Benton has won 16 straight games, and its last loss to an in-state team came on Dec. 16 when it was beaten 65-50 to Bryant, which will play for a Class 6A state title today as well. At the forefront of that rush is Benton forward Terrion Burgess, who has averaged nearly 26 points per game during the state tournament.
The junior has caused havoc on the defensive end, too, which is an area where Hendrix said his team have embraced.
“They understand how important it is to defend,” Hendrix said. “They see how much easier the game gets for us when we play great defense. The guys have taken pride in that, and that’s something that we’re going to have to do at a high level against Pine Bluff.
“They’re a great team. And we’ve kind of taken on the mentality that if you’re going to win the fight, you’ve got to be a part of it. With the schedule we’ve played, I think it fits perfectly with what we’re going to experience in the championship game, and we’re looking forward to it.”