Blackhawks defeat Eagles
HUNTSVILLE — Blackhawk sophomore Josh Turner knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Pea Ridge a 61-59 win Friday night against Huntsville in the 4A-1 Conference opener for both teams.
Turner’s 3-pointer from the right perimeter capped a frantic fourth quarter that saw Huntsville come roaring back from a double-digit deficit to take a 59-58 lead with 12 seconds left.
“We knew we had our hands full coming in here with this Huntsville group,” Blackhawk head coach Trent Loyd said. “They are strong. Their guards are complete. That is a big win for our team.”
Pea Ridge (5-6, 1-0) led by 14 points in the fourth quarter, 47-33, and had a 10-point lead with just under four minutes left before Huntsville (5-3, 0-1) came back behind Mason Davidson, who scored nine of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter including a pair of 3-point plays.
Huntsville also got a huge 3-pointer from Troy Lambert with 26 seconds left to make it 57-56. The Eagles took their only lead
of the second half when they rebounded a missed free throw and kicked the ball back out to Davidson,
who drove the lane for a layup and a 59-58 lead with 12 seconds left.
Pea Ridge worked the ball up the court with no timeouts left, and Turner launched his shot just before the buzzer.
“Sometimes they just have to go make a play and Jared Brewer did a good job of getting the ball up the floor,” Loyd said. “Josh Turner, that’s a sophomore and that was a huge shot to hit.”
Junior Bric Cates was also clutch for the Blackhawks, finishing with a game-high 18 points. Twelve of Cates’ points came in the fourth quarter, where he was eight of 10 at the free-throw line. Pea Ridge freshman J.B. Bledsoe scored 16 points, including three 3-pointers.
“He played, didn’t he?” Loyd said of Bledsoe. “He’s got some confidence, got some swagger to him. What he did tonight is not a fluke. He works his tail off, and we could not be more proud of him.”
Three other Huntsville players scored in double figures. Kolton Reynolds and Matthew Sisk each scored 11 for the Eagles.
Pea Ridge is scheduled to travel to Elkins on Tuesday in conference action, and Huntsville will be off until Dec. 29, when it travels to Neosho, Mo.