Wolves set for tonight’s 5A-South showdown with Pine Bluff Zebras
PEARCY — The Lake Hamilton Wolves are gearing up to host the Pine Bluff Zebras tonight at Wolf Arena in a Class 5A-South showdown.
Pine Bluff (12-4, 5-1) has won eight of its last 10 games while Lake Hamilton (15-5, 4-2) has won 10 of 12 contests, since losing by 15 to the Zebras on Dec 5.
“A win tomorrow night would be huge to build off of, just confidence-wise,” Wolves head coach Scotty Pennington said Monday. “We feel like we played the two best teams in 5A, Pine Bluff and Benton, and we feel like we’re right there, but not quite able to get over the hump. To be able to get over the hump would give our kids a lot of confidence to know we’re still where we were last year and we’re going to have a chance to win it again.”
Both teams are coming off of a loss to the Benton Panthers. Pennington said they expected that game to be tough.
“We’re in a conference that is almost like the SEC in football,” he said. “You better bring it every night or you’re going to get beat.”
When the Wolves played Pine Bluff in December, a late 9-0 run turned a sixpoint game into a 15-point win for the Zebras. Courtney Crutchfield led Pine Bluff with 14 points while Ty Robinson and Zane Pennington each had 17 for Lake Hamilton.
“We’re so familiar with them, and they’re so familiar with us, with us playing three times last year and already playing once this year. We have to do a better job of blocking them out and rebounding. We’re giving up so much athletically, size-wise, to them, blocking out is going to be huge. … Rebounding, transition defense, and limiting our turnovers is the key to the game,” he said.
Lake Hamilton will need some players to improve from that last meeting to overcome the Zebras this time around. Heading into the game, Pennington highlighted a few players he thinks could step up for the Wolves.
“I think for one, Ty Robinson; he’s our Florida Atlantic commit. He had a really tough game over at their place. It was at a time in the season where he wasn’t quite healed yet. He has some nagging knee injuries. I think he’s motivated to show that they didn’t see the real Ty. We’re going to need Zane Pennington and LaBraun Christon to continue playing the way that they have. LaBraun stepped up and scored 27 points against Benton.”
On the other hand, Pine Bluff also has some good players and Pennington discussed what he thinks it would take to slow down Pine Bluff’s premier players.
“Players like Courtney (Crutchfield), you’re never going to stop them, you just hope to contain them,” he said. “A guy that may get 25 points a game, if we can hold him under 15, we’ll set goals like that. Their post player Deriyon Graydon is a concern. He’s 6-6, 240 pounds, really athletic, very strong. Cooper Kindt did a good job on him in the first game to hold him to eight points. We’re going to need that again. Braylen Hall, number three, is really playing well for them.”
With both sides brimming with talent, tonight’s matchup between the secondand third-place teams will be a big game, and Lake Hamilton feels it has something to prove.
“We feel like we don’t have a marquee win yet,” he said. “We have a chance to do that. It would send shockwaves through the state if we were to beat Pine Bluff. Lake Hamilton is still here, we’re still in the mix. We’re still a contender.”