Maumelle avoids another 1st-round loss

MAUMELLE 60, SHERIDAN 51

PINE BLUFF — Maumelle lost to Vilonia in the first round of last season’s Class 5A boys state basketball tournament, and one year later, Coach Michael Shook told his team it hurt him more than any loss before it.

Maumelle needed someone to step up in the second half Tuesday at the Pine Bluff Convention Center — on both ends of the floor — to avoid a similar feeling against Sheridan on Day 1 of this season’s state tournament.

The Hornets found not one, but two guys when they needed it late in the third quarter. Senior guard Addison Shelton hit back-to-back three-pointers, and scored eight points, in a 14-0 run to go from trailing to up 50-38.

Freshman guard Bubba Johnson followed Shelton’s lead with two mid- range jumpers to open the fourth quarter as Maumelle went on to win 60-51.

“That’s the first time we’d ever lost in the first round,” Shook said of the 2022 loss. “I thought, ‘ Well, we have to do everything it takes to get this. We’re not going to take an L in the first round [again].’ ”

While his offense is what helped create its first substantial lead, it was the defense that Shook said was going to make or break Maumelle’s chances of advancing.

In the first half, Maumelle held Sheridan’s Peyton Free scoreless — something Shook said was key to their gameplan. But Justin Crews scored 14 of his 23 points in the first half against Maumelle’s drop coverage to make it 25-24 at the break in favor of the Hornets.

Free and Crews combined for 21 points in the second half, but Sheridan was held to 2-of-17 shooting in the fourth quarter with both makes coming within the final minutes.

“We just really struggled to put the ball in the hole in the fourth quarter,” Sheridan Coach Joe Scott said.

“I told them this game is going to be won on the defensive end and [with] rebounding,” Shook said. “I was super excited that Free didn’t score [in the first half]. That was huge.

“I was OK with [ Crews having 14 points at halftime]. Obviously, you would prefer for him not to have that much, but that was one of the things I told them at halftime. I said, ‘We’re not holding Free scoreless the whole game. He will come out firing, and he’s going to make shots.’ ”

Not only did Maumelle get the defensive effort it was searching for — holding Sheridan to 30.8% shooting for the game — but the Hornets got three players with eight or more rebounds. Jordan Harris had 10 rebounds to go with 11 points, Jacob Lanier had 11 rebounds and 12 points, and Justin Caldwell, in his second-ever varsity game, had eight rebounds and seven points.

“Credit to [Sheridan], and then credit to my guys for stepping up and doing whatever it took to get the W,” Shook said.

PINE BLUFF 75, SYLVAN HILLS 49

Guard Courtney Crutchfield led the Zebras with a game-high 27 points to go with 12 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.

Jordan Harris also scored 12 and Austyn Dendy had 10 for Pine Bluff.

Sylvan Hills was led by DaCarter Coleman’s 17 points. James DeLoach added nine points and 10 rebounds.

MARION 45, GREENBRIER 43

Sophomore guard Lyndell Buckingham hit a floater as time expired to win it for Marion.

Buckingham led all scorers with 15 points. Jalen White added 12. Jace Dunlap scored 14 and Aiden Berry had 12 for Greenbrier.