Blackhawks split district games at Berryville
The Blackhawk boys basketball team kept their unbeaten conference intact with a 53-48 victory over the Berryville Bobcats with the girls coming up short in the fourth quarter as they lost a 31-25 decision to the Lady Bobcats.
Both games were similar in that the Bobcats and Blackhawks were tied headed into the final period. In the girls’ game, both teams scored a trey and two field goals in the fourth but the Bobcats also sank six free throws which proved to be the margin of victory.
In the boys’ victory, the Hawks got scores from five different players in the final period to outscore the ’Cats 18-13 to win the game and go to 6-0 in the league, two games ahead of Farmington with six games left on the schedule.
Game summaries:
Boys Pea Ridge 53 Berryville 48
Berryville came out hoping to pull the upset, limiting the Blackhawks to just 6 points while racking up 12 of their own to take a 12-6 lead after one period. Senior Wes Wales scored twice inside with senior Noah Peterson scoring the other bucket in the Hawks’ first eight minutes of play.
The Hawks flipped the table in the second quarter with Wales leading the way with four field goals. Peterson popped in two more goals with senior Hunter Rains adding the icing to the cake with a deep trey, pushing the Hawks out in front of their hosts 21-20 at the break.
Berryville had their best quarter of offense in the third period as they rammed through 15 points to climb into a tie with the Hawks by the buzzer, 35-35. The ’Cats used three 3-pointers in their attack, part of the eight distance shots they made in the game. Senior Brandon Whatley helped keep the Hawks in the game by hitting two goals and a free throw. Four other Hawks would score in the period with Jared Brewer nailing a trey to go with regular field goals by Wales, Rains and Greydon Edwards.
The final quarter turned on the Blackhawks’ free throw shooting acumen, with the boys from the Ridge ripping seven of the eight shots attempted. Five players scored from the floor with Edwards, Rains, Wales and Whatley scoring 2-pointers with Peterson dropping in a big 3-pointer. Edwards was five for five from the line in the pressure packed quarter with Whatley going two for two from the charity stripe. The victory meant that the Hawks have beaten every team from the 4A-1 to date. The only team they haven’t faced was Harrison at press time, a squad they were to battled Tuesday, Jan. 28, in Pea Ridge.
Wales led the scoring with 16 points followed by Edwards 9, Whatley 9, Peterson 9, Rains 7 and Brewer 3. Balanced scoring, effective free throw shooting, accuracy from the 3-point arc, and dominance in rebounding as the Hawks have won six straight, having not lost a game in 2020.
Girls Berryville 31 Pea Ridge 25
The Blackhawks had a tough time generating offense against a fine defensive Berryville unit, but the Hawks matched their counterparts on defense to turn the 4A-1 matchup into a low scoring affair.
As in the boys’ game, the hosts broke out on top in the first, doubling up on their guests. The Lady ’Cats outscored the Hawks 7-3 to get out ahead early. The Hawks could manage but a lone field goal and a single free throw, both by Blakelee Winn.
The Hawks picked it up in the second quarter with Winn repeating her field goal and free throw output. Lone senior Allisa Short came up with two big field goals to keep the Hawks fairly close, though they were outscored 8-7 to go into the intermission behind 15-10.
The Lady Hawk defense got in gear the third quarter, limiting the Lady Bobcats to no field goals and just three free throws. Aidan Dayberry erupted for a trey and field goal to spark the resurgence with Short adding a goal and Winn a free throw. The surge erased the Bobcat lead, putting the teams into a 18-18 tied going into the fourth period.
Both teams matched the other from the field in the fateful fourth, with Short ripping a trey and field goal with Ravin Cawthon also scoring a bucket. The difference in the game was from the line where the ’Cats were awarded eight shots from the line, converting six of them. Pea Ridge got but one free shot in the fourth and it was off the mark.
The Blackhawks actually scored more goals in the game than did their hosts but were outscored 8 to 3 from the line with the Cats also outshooting the Hawks 4 goals to 2 from the 3-point line.
Short led the scoring with 11 points followed by Winn 6, Dayberry 5 and Cawthon 2.
The Blackhawks’ record in the toughest 4A conference in the state dropped to 2-4 with a game slated for Tuesday, Jan. 28, against the state’s No. 4-ranked 4A team Harrison, which boasted a 19-1 record with their only loss their opening game setback against Springfield, Mo., Kickapoo.