Late free throws sends Eagles over ’Hawks
The Blackhawk boys battled on even terms with top-seeded Huntsville throughout the game until better free throw shooting by the Eagles provided the final margin in the 4A-1 district championship game won by the Eagles 67/62.
Pea Ridge charged to a 35/30 halftime advantage, but could not score for the first half of the third quarter. The drought allowed Huntsville an opening which they took advantage of, scoring 8 unanswered points to get a lead. With the referees making considerable use of their whistles, both teams got their opportunities at the free throw line throughout the second half though Huntsville had twice as many shots. The ’Hawks made only one of their six free shots with the Eagles sinking 10 of 12 to keep Pea Ridge at bay to earn a No. 1 seed in this week’s regional playoffs.
The Eagles’ big 6’7” center Jose Aguilar made his presence felt immediately, powering through the lane for the game’s first score, but sharpshooter Joey Hall more than erased that early deficit by dropping in a pair of treys for a 6/2 lead at the 6:24 mark. Aguilar scored again inside and the score was knotted when the Eagles’ Gosvenor hit a trey to regain the lead for Huntsville at 7/6.
Hall flipped a great entry pass to Tristan Trundle for a layup and the lead back but the Eagles’ Aguilar bulled his way inside for another score which was followed by a layup by teammate Caleb Kirk to push Huntsville ahead 11/8.
Hall got loose for another trey attempt and it went down with 2:41 left in the quarter to tie the score at 11/11. The Eagles’ Eaton replicated Hall’s shot to get the lead back with Nick Hardy matching an Eagle layup to close out first quarter scoring with Huntsville on top 16-13.
Weston Church made a tremendous bounce pass to feed Blake Sheppard for a layup to start the 2nd period, but the Eagles answered in kind moments later. Free throws gave the Hawks the lead back with Trundle sinking one followed by three straight charity shots by Church to give Pea Ridge a 19-18 lead. Aguilar hit a layup with Gosvenor adding a free throw but Church scored five points in quick succession, ripping a 3-pointer then scoring on an acrobatic layup to give Pea Ridge a 23-21 led with 4:51 left.
Aguilar tied the score again with another power play but the Hawks decided to attack the basket to perhaps get the big man in foul trouble. The stratagem worked as Britton Caudill was fouled twice by the Huntsville star. Caudill made 3 of the 4 shots and Aguilar went to the bench with 3 fouls with Pea Ridge ahead 26-25.
Church made another driving layup to increase the lead but a 3-pointer by Gosvenor tied the score at 28-all. Caudill then made a 3-point play the old-fashioned way by driving the basket and getting the shot to fall while being fouled. The sophomore then sank the free shot for a 31/28 lead. Cole Wright and Hall both went 2 for 2 at the free throw line in the final minute of the half with the Eagles getting a jump shot to fall to set the halftime advantage for Pea Ridge at 35/30.
Pea Ridge suffered five straight turnovers to start the second half with the Eagles’ Gosvenor and Kirk each scoring twice from close in to give Huntsville a 38/35 lead. Caudill stroked a free throw which was matched by Huntsville but a shot from behind the arc by Church tied the score at 39/39. Kirk fired in a 3 for Huntsville but Hall retaliated almost immediately with another trey to keep the game tied at 42/42. Gosvenor dropped in a layup to get the lead but Hall answered again with his own layup to re-tie the game at 44/44. The last scoring opportunity of the third quarter went Huntsville’s way as a 2-pointer gave them a 46/44 edge going into the final period.
Huntville started the scoring in the final quarter with a layup but Church and Hall spotted up for treys with the shots dropping through to put Pea Ridge ahead 52/48. Hardy scored next on a layup with the Eagles erasing most of the deficit on a trey by Gosvenor. A Zach Davis layup fattened the Pea Ridge lead to 54/51 but an Eaton 3-pointer tied the score for the 10th time at 54/54 with 4:57 left in the game.
Huntsville went up by 4 on a layup but an offensive rebound shot by Caudill kept the ’Hawks close, trailing 60/58. Protecting the tight lead, Huntsville went to a delay game to run out the clock or force the ’Hawks to foul to get the ball. Hall and Sheppard scored field goals in the closing seconds but Huntville’s delay tactics succeeded in sending them to the free throw line where they made seven of eight shots in the last 59 seconds to preserve their victory.
The outcome will likely send Pea Ridge to open play against Dardanelle in the North Regional quarterfinals this week with Huntsville likely playing Ozark. A victory by either team will earn them a slot in the state tournament later this month.
Hall again led the ’Hawk offense by pouring through 21 points. Church was in double fig- ures with 15, followed by Caudill 9, Trundle 5, Sheppard 4, Hardy 4, Wright 2, and Davis 2.