Miners wrap season with OT road win

HEBER SPRINGS – Knowing there season was over after Thursday’s makeup game with the Heber Springs Panthers on the road regardless of outcome, the Bauxite Miners put up an excellent effort to come out with a 74-67 overtime win, putting a cap on the season at 13-13 overall, 6-10 in 5-4A Conference play, just missing out on a regional berth by a couple games.

“We ended up being about a game and a half back of the regional tournament,” Bauxite Head Coach Brandon Kelly said. “Those two early losses hurt us against PA and Heber Springs.

“We knew going in … last games are hard, especially ones that are going to end your season without a chance to make the regional tournament. The kids just continued to play hard all season long.”

Tied 64-64 at the end of regulation in Thursday’s season finale, the Miners sealed the game at the free-throw line in overtime, hitting 10 of 14 from the charity stripe to cap it.

“Our biggest key to victory was using our athleticism against them,” Kelly said of Thursday’s win. “They’re not an overly athletic team, but they do run a lot of sets and rely on execution. We used our athleticism to our advantage.”

The game remained close throughout with senior

Bino Stephens hitting two threes in the first quarter, with fellow senior Cornelius Reed and sophomore Carter Temple both scoring five in the frame for the 18-16 Bauxite lead after one.

Miner junior Matthew Bainter scored six points in the second stanza, with Stephens adding five, while the Panthers knotted it up at