Hornets top Tigers, earn 3A-4’s top seed

“It was a dogfight. We found out early in the third quarter that Booneville had lost, so we knew it was ours if we could just close it out.” Hackett Coach Kent Elmore

3A-4 BOYS HACKETT 63, CHARLESTON 57

CHARLESTON — The 3A-4 Conference didn’t just come down to the final night of the regular season for Hackett and Charleston, it went into overtime.

Hackett’s Kanon Fisher forced overtime with a three-pointer at the buzzer to end regulation, and the Hornets seized the momentum in the extra period for a 63-57 win at the Tiger Center on Friday night.

Hackett (21-5, 11-3) forged a tie with Charleston (15-11, 113) atop the conference standings, but the Hornets won both regular-season games to earn the No. 1 seed in next week’s district tournament at Hackett. Charleston will be the No. 2 seed. Both teams also earn byes to Thursday’s semifinals and also earn automatic berths into the regional tournament at Booneville.

On Friday, Fisher, the third player off the bench for Hackett and a sophomore, hit two three-pointers in the final 70 seconds of regulation to rally the Hornets to their first conference championship since 2010.

“Conference champions,” Hackett Coach Kent Elmore said. “It was a dogfight. We found out early in the third quarter that Booneville had lost, so we knew it was ours if we could just close it out. Kanon hit the huge shot, and we’re not afraid to put it in a sophomore’s hands.”

In overtime, defenses forced each team into turnovers on the first three possessions before Reese Merechka put Charleston up, 56-55, with 2:20 left.

Eli Slavens, who was held to just five points in the first four quarters by Merechka’s stifling defense, drove for a bucket with 2:01 left.

Merechka answered with a driving bucket but was called for a charge, and Fisher responded with another three-pointer with 34 seconds left to put Hackett up, 60-56.

Merechka added another free throw, but Slavens put the game away with a free throw with 25 seconds left and two more with 15 seconds left.

Hackett led, 17-10, after ending the first quarter with seven straight points, and led 27-24 at the half.

Charleston stormed back to take a 45-38 lead with Drake Dodson hitting a pair of threes to start the Tigers on a 10-0 run early in the third quarter. Merechka capped the quarter with a steal and layup at the buzzer.

Hayden Foster scored 26 points and yanked down 12 rebounds for Hackett, scoring 19 points in the first half. Cole Ketchum scored 14 points, including two three-pointers early in the fourth quarter. Slavens, the conference’s leading scorer, finished with 10 points, and Fisher with the three three-pointers.

Dodson had 21 points for Charleston, and Merechka finished with 20. Maddix Terry chipped in 15 points and had 13 rebounds.

GIRLS HACKETT 43, CHARLESTON 41

Alona Rothwell led Hackett with 8 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, the final one with a second left to preserve the win.

Hackett (6-17, 4-10) broke a 40-40 tie on a basket by Brooklyn Espinosa with 34 seconds left. Aaliyah Escoffier added a free throw with 21 seconds left.

Charleston (14-11, 9-5) stayed close with 8.4 seconds on Kytan Johnson’s free throw and forced a turnover before Rothwell blocked the Lady Tigers’ final try.

Jessie Mendenhall scored 11 points for the Lady Hornets, and Escoffier scored 8 points and had 9 rebounds.

Livi McClain and Johnson each scored 13 points for Charleston. Macy Fox added 6 points and 10 rebounds.