Mayflower holds off Jessieville rally
JESSIEVILLE — Determined to improve defensively after allowing 82 points to top- ranked Episcopal Collegiate, Mayflower played quality defense for a half against Jessieville before some slippage.
Jessieville twice trailed by 17 points but closed within three before falling 64- 57 Friday night in the Lions’ regular- season finale.
“We did a lot of good things in the first half, but I think we got a little too overconfident and came out a little flat in the second half,” Mayflower coach Brent Stallings said. “But give Jessieville a lot of credit. They dug in, played with a lot of pride and made a game of it.”
Hunter Daley’s consecutive three- point baskets pulled Jessieville within single digits, at 51- 42, for the first time since the first quarter. Brad Chambliss, Mayflower’s senior captain off the bench, temporarily halted the run with a rebound putback, but Rueben DeHaas hit a three and layup on consecutive possessions to make it 53- 47 at 3: 48.
“We played so much harder in the second half,” Jessieville coach Eddie Lamb said. “You could tell that the intensity was so much better. It’s a good lesson that if you play hard, you can see that good things can happen.”
Chambliss quelled the momentum again with another putback and made a free throw the next trip down. J. P. Perry, fresh off a 36- point game against Episcopal, atoned for two missed free throws by taking Chambliss’ rebound feed for a 58- 47 lead at 2: 46.
“Bradley knows his role, and he plays it phenomenally,” Stall-
ings said. “He plays great defense and picks up some trash baskets here and there, and that’s what he did. He got some big rebounds, and that kind of play is what a team needs.”
Jessieville then went on an 8- o run, Daley getting open for three and Steven Benson’s free throw making it 58- 55. Benson scored his team’s last five, freeing himself for pick- and- roll layups, and scored a career- high 20.
“At halftime, we made an adjustment to go to our pickandroll offense,” Lamb said. “Benson really did a good job of finishing and getting down there to get fouled and get to the foul line.”
Mayflower ( 20- 5, 12- 2) hit six of six free throws in the final 30 seconds after starting two of 10 at the line. Hayden Long scored 21 points and Perry 13 for the Eagles, hitting 26 of 52 ( 50 percent) from the field.
Daley finished with 17 and DeHaas 15 for Jessieville, which shot 60 percent in its 25- point fourth quarter.
Jessieville is No. 5 seed in the 3A- 5 district tournament at Episcopal, needing two wins to qualify for the Region 2 tournament. The Lions face Perryville or Fountain Lake at 8 p. m. Tuesday at Championship Gym in Little Rock.