Tigers top Wolverines to capture region title

MABEN – The stage was set and the stars seemed to have aligned for the East Webster Wolverines in the Class 2A, Region 2 boys championship game.

The only thing standing in their way was the Leflore County Tigers.

It was a knit a grit fight to the finish, but in the end, the Wolverines dropped a heartbreaker 47-42.

“First off we played a really good team (Friday night) in Leflore County, who gave us a great game in the regular season,” East Webster coach Michael Seger said. "I thought in the first half, we weren't as defensively locked in as we should've been, but I'm very proud of our effort in the second half to keep fighting until the end."

In the first quarter, the Wolverines went on a run of 6-2 capped by a huge tip back from Isaac Patterson to lead to 8-3 at the 4:44 mark.

The Tigers went on a 7-0 run to lead 10-8 at the 2:15 mark after big buckets from Jadarrius Harris and Willie Dixon.

A run of 3-1 capped by a huge shot from downtown from Kentavious Dixon had the Tigers leading 13-9 heading to the second period.

In the second quarter, Harris found the basket with back to back buckets and the Tigers led 17-9 with 6:44 remaining in the half.

A run of 5-0 led by buckets from Patterson and Charlie Brand brought the score within three points for the Wolverines with 5:50 left in the half.

A Tiger run of 7-0 extended the Leflore County lead to 24-14 with 3:50 remaining in the half.

The first half ended on a 8-8 run for both teams after a 3-point field goal from Art Thompson cut the lead to 32-22.

In the third quarter, Leflore County scored off a tip in from Dixon to lead 34-22 but a deep 3-pointer from Brand cut the Tiger lead to 34-25 at the 5:23 mark.

Patterson banked in a shot to cut the Leflore County advantage down to 34-27, but he didn't stop there as the senior completed a three-point play and the Wolverines trailed 3430 at the 1:36 mark of the period.

Patterson continued to light up the Tiger's defense and cut the lead down to 34-32 with 44 seconds remaining in the period.

Leflore County made two free throws and led 36-32 heading into the final minutes of play.

In the fourth quarter, East Webster scored quick on a layup from Sedrick Taylor, but the Tigers answered with a bucket from Zack Walker to extend their lead to 38-34 with 6:45 left to play.

At the 6-minute mark, Jacob Ginn drained a 3 and cut the Leflore County lead down to 38-37.

A 3-pointer from Thompson tied the game at 40, but free throws on the other end gave the lead back to the Tigers 4240 with 4:37 left to play.

With 1:50 left in the game, Thompson found the basket untouched with a layup to tie the game at 42.

Leflore County answered on the other end with a mid range shot from Edwards to lead 44-42 at 34-second mark and even added a free throw after a foul to lead 45-42 with 16 seconds left to play.

The last possession for the Wolverines was knocked away and layed in by the Tiger's Tyrone Payne on the other end and East Webster dropped a heartbreaker and will enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in Class 2A out of Region 2.

Thompson and Patterson led the Wolverines with 12 points each.

East Webster has a record of 21-5 and returns to action Tuesday night at 7 p.m. to host Riverside in the first round of the MHSAA Playoffs.

“We'll host a playoff game for the first time in a very long time Tuesday night against a very good Riverside team," Seger said. "They've got a 6-6 point guard, D.J. Stewart, who signed with Mississippi State and they shoot the ball very well, so we expect it to be a very similar game to (Friday night).”