FC to face Tuckerman in NEA Tournament Division 1 bracket
Forrest City, the defending NEA Tournament Division 1 champions from a year ago, know they will be facing a familiar foe from last year’s tournament in this year's quarterfinal bracket.
This year’s NEA tournament, the 76th annual tournament for the boys’ teams and the 46th annual tournament for girls, will run Dec. 18 through 20 and Dec. 27 through
30.
Arkansas State University’s First National Bank Arena is again the site for the tournament.
The NEA tournament began in late 1947 and into early 1948 with Rector joining Bay, Clover Bend, Hickory Ridge, Hoxie, Lake City, Leachville, Manila, Marked Tree, Nettleton, Oxford, Pocahontas and Trumann representing the boy's side of the tournament.
Hickory Ridge won the very first boys title defeating Trumann 41-38 in that year's finals.
The tournament remained a boys only attraction until 1977, when the girl's division was added.
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The Mustangs will play Tuckerman in the boys Division 1 bracket on Dec. 28 in a 3 p.m. tip.
Forrest City wears the No. 2 seed into the Division 1 boys bracket in this year's NEA tournament which began with the smaller schools and lower seeds on Monday.
On Monday, seventh-seeded Tuckerman slipped past 10th seeded Trumann 65-64 in the Division 1 Boys bracket to set up next Thursday's quarterfinal game against the Mustangs.
Last year, the Mustangs, led by Mykeon White's 24-point night, ran their way to the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Division 2 boys championship game with a 62-42 semifinal victory over Tuckerman.
In the Division 2 final last year, Forrest City defeated Brookland 5450 to win the Division II boys championship at the 75th annual tournament. That scenario could be repeated again this year. Brookland is the top seed into this year's Division 1 boys bracket and the Bearcats and Mustangs could very well meet again in the championship game.
Last year's NEA title was the first for a Forrest City Mustang team.
On Tuesday as the higher seeds won all five games on the second day of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational high school basketball tournament at First National Bank Arena.
Eighth-seeded Blytheville won in its return to the tournament after a one-year absence, rolling past ninth-seeded Walnut Ridge 82-54 in a first-round Division 2 boys’ contest.
Two teams advanced in Division 2 boys as sixth-seeded Buffalo Island Central ousted 13th-seeded McCrory 60-34 and seventh-seeded Corning dispatched 10th-seeded Hoxie 7245.
Seventh-seeded Cave City eliminated 10th-seeded Newport 46-24 in a Division 1 girls’ contest. Rector, the No. 5 seed in Division 2 girls, breezed past McCrory 73-23.
Blytheville, which advances to play conference rival Brookland in the Dec. 28 Division 1 quarterfinals, led 18-10 after the first quarter and 39-22 at halftime
of its victory over Walnut Ridge. The Chickasaws outscored the Bobcats 24-10 in the fourth quarter to finish the game.
Micah Dawkins scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures for Blytheville (47). Brandon Wimbley hit four three-pointers in adding 17 points, while Johmir Guyton added 13 points and Jontavious Johnson 10.
Davis Callahan struck for four three-pointers to lead Walnut Ridge with 16 points. Rex Tedder added 15 points, hitting three 3s, and Jersie Cunningham chipped in with 11 for the Bobcats.
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After trailing by three points at the end of the first quarter, Corning rallied to lead by nine at halftime and by 17 at the end of the third quarter on the way to a 72-45 win over Hoxie.
Corning (9-4) will play secondseeded Marked Tree in the quarterfinals Dec. 28.
Hoxie led 21-18 after the first quarter. Corning, which has won
seven consecutive games, took a 37-28 advantage into halftime and led 54-37 at the end of the third quarter.
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BIC opened a 27-point halftime lead on its way to a Division 2 quarterfinal 60-34 win over McCrory. BIC will face fifthseeded Rector on Wednesday, Dec. 27.
BIC led McCrory 19-6 after the first quarter, 38-11 at halftime and 57-21 after the third quarter.
NEA Girls
Eleven players scored for Rector as the Lady Cougars easily advanced in the Division 2 girls’ bracket behind a 73-23-win over McCrory.
Rector will play fourth-seeded Marmaduke in the quarterfinals Dec. 27.
Rector's Kayleigh Steward sank three, three-pointers while scoring all of her 15 points in the first half for Rector (5-6). Rector led 27-4 after the first quarter, 5014 at halftime and 60-17 after the third quarter.