POTTSVILLE — Cameron Thompson didn’t like the last shot he took Friday night, but Pea Ridge’s boys basketball team loved the result.
Thompson, a senior post, hit a high-banking shot to put the Blackhawks ahead with 26 seconds left, and Dakota Woodward’s free throw with 8.5 seconds remaining closed out a 57-55 semifinal victory over Farmington in the Class 4A North Region tournament.
“I wasn’t ready for the pass at that moment, but I caught it and made it,” Thompson said. “I didn’t think it was going in, but luckily it did.”
Pea Ridge (24-8) never trailed until Kendall Buchanan’s three-pointer put Farmington (24-6) ahead 55-54 with 37 seconds remaining. The Blackhawks then raced into the frontcourt, where Woodward hitThompson with the critical pass near the basket.
“We’ve spent enough time playing pickup ball in Pea Ridge that we didn’t need a timeout,” Blackhawks Coach Charley Clark said. “I had faith that we could make the play. Woody did a great job of getting the ball down the court and got the ball inside.”
Farmington also went inside on its next possession but couldn’t get a shot to fall. Woodward hit the first free throw, and that was enough as Steven Leichner missed a three-pointer from the left wing at the buzzer.
“To have a shot at the end to win the game, with as many shots as we missed, that’s a testament to our players,” Farmington CoachBeau Thompson said. “We fought hard and clawed back into the game.
“It came down to who made the last play, and we didn’t do it.”
Thompson and Kasey Cooper scored 18 points each, and Woodward added 15 for Pea Ridge.
Buchanan led Farmington with 27 points, followed by Steven Purdy with 13.
CLARKSVILLE 64, WALDRON 55
Dederick Lee had 23 points to lead Clarksville (22-8), which outscored Waldron 21-14 in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Bulldogs.
Kenderick Lee had 12 points and Melvin Schucker added 11 for the Panthers.
Levi Cooper had 18 points to pace Waldron (19-10), followed by Taylor Bunting with 12.
GIRLS
SHILOH CHRISTIAN 40, GENTRY 30
Shiloh Christian (25-3) hit four threepointers in the third quarter as it pulled away from Gentry (21-10) to advance to today’s championship game.
Madison Lowe hit a pair of threepointers and Hannah Persing made another as Shiloh Christian broke a 16-16 tie and took a double-digit lead it never relinquished.
Gentry went six minutes with a field goal after Kendra Speer’s basket to start the second half. She ended Gentry’s dry spell with another basket with 1:04 left in the third period.
Megan Henley led Shiloh Christian with 12 points, 10 coming in the first half.
Kendra Boyd scored eight points to lead Gentry.
PRAIRIE GROVE 48, GRAVETTE 41
Prairie Grove (24-7) used an eightpoint run in the second half to defeat Gravette (15-16) and advance to today’s championship game against Shiloh Christian.
Kendra Coyle scored five points during the spurt, and Lacey Beeks’ basket gave Prairie Grove a 38-28 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter.
Gravette trimmed to the lead to five points twice, but that was as close as it would get.
Coyle led Prairie Grove with 19 points. Shyanne Nichols and Samantha VanOtterloo led Gravette with 12 points each.
Sports, Pages 19 on 02/26/2011