LITTLE ROCK — Freshman guard Jamie Ruffin scored all five of her points in the game’s final 35.4 seconds as Little Rock Central staged a frantic rally in the final two minutes to earn a 69-65 victory over Liberty-Eylau of Texarkana, Texas, in Monday’s quarterfinals of the Heaven’s Best Tournament at Hall High School.
The Lady Tigers (5-5) scored the game’s final 12 points to come back from a 65-57 deficit in the last 1:21.
“In the last two minutes, I’m just thinking ‘We’ve got to get it together,’ ” Ruffin said. “We really had the game. We just weren’t making shots. That’s all we needed to do.”
The Lady Tigers will play England in tonight’s semifinals. El Dorado plays Memphis Craigmont in the first semifinal game.
Central hit only 9 of 33 fieldgoal attempts in the first half and did not heat up that much in the second half (12 of 34), but the Lady Tigers made three of their 15 steals in the closing minutes and attempted only point-blank shots in completing their comeback. Central also held a 40-32 rebounding advantage.
“Liberty-Eylau is a good club, and we let them get out on us late,” Central Coach Mike Green said. “Like I told our kids, when you don’t make shots and the other team does, it’s easy to get down on yourself. Down the stretch, we turned our defense up. They took a few ill-advised shots, and we started making some shots and getting some steals that turned the momentum of the game.”
Liberty-Eylau held a 65-57 lead after freshman Imani Wright’s 5-footer with 1:59 toplay, but those were the final points for the Lady Leopards. Lady Tigers junior Jayla Tucker started her team’s rally with a rebounded basket with 1:21 to play. Brittany Leaonard, who led Central with 15 points, hit a free throw with 1:12 to play. Tucker made a steal and layup with 51.3 remaining, and Ruffin’s layup with 35.4 seconds to play pulled the Lady Tigers within 65-64.
On the ensuing inbounds pass, Tucker made a steal and Central called a timeout.
Fifteen seconds later, Ruffin completed a three-point play to give the Lady Tigers their first lead since the 8:27 mark of the second half.
Junior Shawnessi Arnold scored eight consecutive points midway through the second half to give Central a 47-42 lead. She finished with 14 points and fouled out with 5:30 to play. Lesley Craft added 13 and Tucker 12 for Central. Sarah Flood led the Lady Tigers in rebounding with 11.
Bianca Stevenson led Liberty-Eylau with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Skylar Robertson added 18 points.
MEMPHIS CRAIGMONT 48, SHILOH CHRISTIAN 45
Central was not the only team to post a late rally Monday. Memphis Craigmont trailed 41-29 with 4:21 to play, but hit four free throws in the game’s final 5.4 seconds for the victory.
Junior Lindsey Roe, who led Shiloh Christian with 18 points, put the Lady Saints ahead 45-44 with a free throw with 18.1 seconds to play, but Craigmont’s Kaitlyn McCoy hit two free throws with 5.4 seconds to play to give her team its first lead of the second half. Sophomore Jalyn Burkett made a steal and hit two more free throws to set the final margin.
McCoy and Katya Lloyd each scored 17 for Craigmont.
EL DORADO 60, SOUTH MIAMI 47
Whitney Frazier led the Lady Wildcats with 16 points in a victory over the Lady Cobras. El Dorado led 33-20 at halftime. Marina Pacheco led South Miami with 13 points.
Boys JACKSONVILLE 59, LR CATHOLIC 57
Justin McCleary had 12 points and Jamison Williams had 10 as host Jacksonville (3-7) beat Little Rock Catholic. For Catholic, Garrett Uekman and Alex Cope each scored 12 and Matt Morris had 10.
Sports, Pages 21 on 12/22/2009