Pound Paint, Cure For Cold Shooting

FARMINGTON BOYS EARN SHOT AT REGIONAL CROWN

FARMINGTON — Farmington’s cure for cold outside shooting worked wonders with the Cardinals pounding the paint and getting to the foul line frequently to the tune of a 75-50 semfinal win.

The Cardinals (30-1) beat Harrison by 25 points to advance into Monday’s 4A North Regional championship against Berryville setting up a rematch of the district finals. Layne Taylor scored 35 points for Farmington and triggered a 9-0 run in the third quarter when Farmington outscored Harrison by a 2-to-1 margin (20-10) to establish a 53-41 lead going into the fourth.

“We only made two threes tonight so for us to score 75 points was outstanding. We weren’t shooting well from the perimeter, but we shot it well from the free-throwline and in the lane. Layne shot 18 for 20 at the freethrow-line and as a team we were 18 of 30. That was the difference,” said Farmington coach Johnny Taylor.

The Cardinals drew six fouls in the first three minutes of the third and capitalized with Layne Taylor making 5- of- 6 foul shots. Layne Taylor’s trifecta gave the Cardinals a 10-point lead at 45-35 at the 4:34 mark of the third.

Layne Taylor transformed consecutive rebounds into assists as he pushed the ball upcourt and dished to Caleb Blakely and Mateo Carbonel for layups.

“Mateo and Caleb, their ability to run the floor and get rebounds and then Layne in the second half that was why we won and obviously it helps when your opponent gets three technicals,” Johnny Taylor said.

Farmington spread the court and sprang Layne Taylor going to the basket extending its lead to 51-35.

The Goblins got six points from Gatlin James to cut it to 12 at the end of the third.

They pulled within 53- 43 on free throws early in the fourth before Farmington gained separation on the scoreboard with an 8- 0 run culminated by Nathan Monroe’s assist to Layne Taylor which put the Cardinals well out front, at 61-43, midway through the fourth.

The Goblins didn’t help their cause by drawing three technical fouls in the second half and Layne Taylor knocked down 5-of-6 technical foul free throws.

The game started out as a dogfight with Farmington missing a bunch of 3-point attempts.

Harrison led 6-2 early on Timber Crenwelge’s layup but baskets by Carbonel and Layne Taylor evened the score.

A four point swing occurred in the last threeand- a- half minutes of the opening quarter. Abe Glidwell missed three straight free throws despite getting a second chance on a lane violation. On the opposite end of the court Layne Taylor sank a pair of free throws pushing the Cardinal lead to 12-6.

Harrison cut the lead to 18-16 with Crenwelge driving

to the goal capping a 7- 0 run, but Carbonel kissed a shot off the glass to beat the buzzer and Farmington held onto a 20-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Harrison started the second quarter with another 7-0 run to take a 26-20 lead with Crenwelge beating everybody down the floor.

Johnny Taylor stopped the action with a time-out and the Cardinals executed their offense. Carson Dearing put up a one-handed shot deep in the paint and scored. That kickstarted an 11-2 Cardinal run as they got their running game going.

Nathan Monroe’s driving bucket provided the difference with Farmington leading 33-31 at halftime.

Blakely chipped in 18 points and Carbonel added a dozen more for Farmington while Kason Hilligoss scored 10 points for Harrison.

FARMINGTON 75, HARRISON 50

Harrison 16 15 10 9 — 50 Farmington 20 13 20 22 — 75 Farmington (30-1): Layne Taylor 8 18-20 35, Caleb Blakely 9 0-4 18, Mateo Carbonel 5 2-4 12, Nathan Monroe 1 1-2 3, Jaeden Newsom 1 0-0 3, Maddox Mahan 1 0-0 2, Carson Dearing 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 21-30 75.

Harrison (13-12): Kason Hilligoss 3 2-2 10, Abe Glidewell 4 1-3 9, Logan Plumlee 3 2-2 9, Timber Crenwelge 3 1-2 7, Gatlin James 2 0-0 6, Blake Shrum 1 0-0 3, Keaton Caudle 1 0-0 3, Brody Burge 1 0-0 3. Totals 19

6-9 50.

3-Point Goals — Farmington 2 (Taylor, Newsom). Harrison 6 (Hillgoss 2, Plumlee, Shrum, Burge, Caudle).

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Farmington sophomore Layne Taylor gets off a jump shot near the freethrow-line between two Harrison defenders. The Cardinals took on the Goblins in the 4A North Regional boys basketball tournament semifinal Sunday.