Rogers High Falls At Arvest

— Rogers High has struggled to put together a full game this season. That trend continued Thursday night.

Mount Vernon, Mo., outscored the Mounties 8-1 the final 1 minute, 28 seconds of the game as it defeated Rogers 49-48 in a first-round game at the Arvest Hoopfest at War Eagle Arena.

Mount Vernon’s Luke Call hit a 3-pointer with 58 seconds left for a 49-48 lead, and Rogers then turned the ball over with six seconds left in the game. Rogers led by six points three times in the fourth period, but had seven turnovers the final seven minutes.

“We didn’t take care of the ball in the fourth quarter, and we didn’t execute the offense in the fourth quarter,” Rogers coach Wayne Herren said. “They put pressure on us and got some deflections. We didn’t do a good job of taking care of the basketball.

“Right now, it’s just about putting a complete game together.”

The loss was just the second in 19 Arvest Hoopfest games for the Mounties, dating back to 2005. Rogers (2-4) has won the event five times and made the finals once. It will play Fort Smith Southside at 5:30 p.m. today in a consolation bracket game. Mount Vernon will face Webb City, Mo. at 7 p.m. in the semifinals.

Hunter Hill gave Rogers a 47-41 lead with a three-point play with 1:34 left in the game, but Shane Williams countered with a three-point play and his running jumper with 1:18 left cut Rogers’ lead to 48-46.

Rogers then turned the ball over at halfcourt and Call drained a 3-pointer to give Mount Vernon its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

Chandler Myers led Mount Vernon with 18 points, while Williams finished with 12.

“We struggled for three-and-a-half quarters,” Mount Vernon coach Skip Brock said. “Our kids didn’t quit. I liked the way Shane Williams played in the fourth quarter. He made some big plays.”

Hill paced Rogers with 19 points, while freshman Jake Killingsworth added 11.

“Jake is coming along and he can hit some midrange shots,” Herren said. “That is what we are looking for. I thought he played well tonight, and that was one positive.”

Arvest Hoopfest

MOUNT VERNON MO., 49, ROGERS HIGH 48

Mt. Vernon 11 5 19 14 — 49

Rogers 9 13 15 11 — 48

Mt. Vernon (2-0): Myers 18, Williams 12, Phillips 6, Call 6, Curl 4, Adams 3.

Rogers (2-4): Hill 19, Killingsworth 11, Gentz 9, Jones 5, Smith 2, Street 2.

Webb City, Mo. 46

Fort Smith Southside 40

Webb City rallied from an eight point halftime deficit to defeat the Rebels in a first-round game.

Southside led 24-16 at halftime, but the Cardinals’ Phoenix Johnson tallied a three-point play early in the fourth period for a 31-28 lead as Webb City (1-0) pulled away.

Logan Williams paced Webb City with 12 points while Nate Brown added 10. Andrew Hindman led Southside (2-4) with 11 points, while Isaac Jackson was also in double-figures with 10.

Arvest Hoopfest

Boys

WEBB CITY, MO. 46, FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE 40

Webb City 10 6 13 17 — 46

Southside 15 9 4 12 — 40

Webb City (1-0): Williams 12, Brown 10, Slaughter 7, Vaden 7, Johnson 7, Roderique 2, Parra 1.

Southside (2-4): Hindman 11, Jackson 10, Spradlin 8, Strickland 7, Wolfe 2, Hunton 2.

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