ROGERS — Pea Ridge struggled to put the ball in the basket from the perimeter Thursday, and the taller, more athletic Waynesville Tigers made it difficult to score inside.
That added up to the Blackhawks’ first loss of the season.
Waynesville, Mo., jumped to a 16-3 lead after one quarter and cruised to a 55-33 win over Pea Ridge in the Arvest Hoopfest at War Eagle Arena.
The Blackhawks will take on the Hot Springs-Rogers Heritage loser in a consolation game at 4 p.m. today, while Waynesville advances to take on the Heritage-Hot Springs winner in the semifinals at 8:30.
Pea Ridge (5-1) missed 10 of its first 11 shots to start the game and never recovered.
“We didn’t shoot it very well, but when we were able to get a little penetration, what looked like was going to be a good shot by the time we got there it as being swatted out of bounds,” Pea Ridge coach Charley Clark said.
“In a game like that, we needed to shoot the three real well and we didn’t. We didn’t give ourselves a chance. Defensively, we were acceptable. But that’s not going to get it done. We’re not used to turning out 33.”
The main culprits for the Tigers (3-1) were 6-foot-6 sophomore Juwan Morgan and 6-5 junior Javante Armstrong, who combined to block eight shots in the first half and bother many others by the Blackhawks.
Morgan poured in a game-high 20 points, mostly around the basket, but he also drained a 3-pointer. He was the only Waynesville player in double figures. Guards Donald Hargrow and Joe Johnson chipped in nine points apiece.
Pea Ridge pulled within 26-16 on Jacob Hall’s baseline jumper to start the second half, but Waynesville responded with a 9-0 spurt and were never challenged again.
Morgan scored twice on spin moves, Armstrong added a rebound bucket and Hargrow finished off the run with a three-point play.
Hall led Pea Ridge with 10 points.
WAYNESVILLE, MO. 55, PEA RIDGE 33
Pea Ridge 3 11 7 12 — 33
Waynesville 16 10 15 14 — 55
Pea Ridge (5-1): Hall 10, DeLeon 6, Rose 6, Pitts 5, Mangrum 4, Tillman 2.
Waynesville (3-1): Morgan 20, Johnson 9, Hargrow 9, Vanderson 5, Williams 4, Swanson 2, Howser 2, Armstrong 2, Womack 2.