JAMMIN’ FOR JACKETS

Hot-shooting NLR scalds Hall

— Kevaughn Allen and Dayshawn Watkins shared MVP honors of the Joe Johnson Jammin’ for Jackets Tournament Saturday night. More important, the two North Little Rock guards shared the ball.

Allen and Watkins combined for 48 points, leading the Charging Wildcats to a surprisingly easy 83-59 victory over host Little Rock Hall in the championship game.

“I couldn’t have done what I did without him and he couldn’t have done what he did without me,” said Watkins, who finished with 20 points and seven assists. “But really, I thought the whole team deserved to be MVPs.”

Watkins had a valid point.The Charging Wildcats (6-1) made 31 of 57 shots from the floor, including 12 of 20 on three-pointers, and committed only 5 turnovers against a Hall team that had won 26 consecutive games against instate opponents coming into Saturday’s.

“We were trying to find a chink in their armor,” Hall Coach Jon Coleman said of North Little Rock. “Not in just their game tonight, but throughout the whole tournament. They just didn’t show many weaknesses.”

University of Arkansas signee Bobby Portis, a 6-9 senior,scored 26 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, but the Warriors (4-3) couldn’t stop the Charging Wildcats’ guards.

“They make us go,” North Little Rock Coach Johnny Rice said of Allen and Watkins. “I played for North Little Rock, and I’ve been here and coached here for 22 years, and the collection of guards we have right now is the best it’s ever been.”

Allen, who scored 27 in Friday’s victory over Fayetteville, provided 28 points and 6 rebounds on Saturday. He scored 16 second-half points and finished with six three pointers.

Senior post player Thomas Alexander added 16 points, 11 of which came in the game’s final 9:43.

“Sometimes it surprises me how well we play and then sometimes it doesn’t,” Allen said. “Sometimes in the first half, we don’t come out with the energy. Today, we had plenty of energy.”

North Little Rock never trailed after Allen opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Hall was as close as 26-22 with 3:01 left in the first half, but the Charging Wildcats closed the half by outscoring the Warriors 12-5 to lead 38-27.

Hall hit its first five shots from the floor in the second half but failed to cut into the North Little Rock lead. Hall was never any closer than nine points in the final 16 minutes.

Javan Perry and Anfernee Floyd each scored 10 points for Hall, which was 24 of 42 from the floor and 4 of 8 from beyond the three-point line.

Allen finished the three game tournament with a combined 74 points. Watkins had 59 points and 18 assists in the three games.

“Either one could have been named MVP,” Rice said. “I wasn’t going to make that decision. They both played hard. They both shared the basketball and made each other better.”

FAYETTEVILLE 62, MILLS 46

Missouri State signee Tyler Mc-Cullough scored 15 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 3 shots as the Bulldogs (9-2) cruised to a victory over the Comets (4-3) in the third-place game.

Fayetteville built a 40-21 halftime lead and was ahead by as many as 27 points in the second half before the Comets pulled to within 14 late in the contest.

Caleb Waitsman added 13 points and guard Cameron Paschke scored 10 points for Fayetteville. Junior Omar Avance scored all 14 of his points in the second half to lead Mills while Shaquon Fletcher added 12 points.

PARKVIEW 80, FAIR 47

Junior guard Anton Beard scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out 6 assists as the Patriots (5-1) downed the War Eagles (4-4) in the fifth-place game.

Beard scored 15 first-half points as the Patriots rushed out to a 45-26 halftime lead. Jaylon Franklin and Deshaud Kelley each added 14 points for Parkview while I.J. Ready produced 13 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds and Daryl Macon 13 points and 5 rebounds.

Senior Allante Plant led the War Eagles with 14 points. Alex Bernard, who had combined for 56 points in Fair’s first two games, was limited to 13 points on Saturday. Fair committed 22 turnovers to 9 for Parkview.

MCCLELLAN 72, CENTRAL 61

Akee Johnson led the Lions (1-3) with 12 points in a victory over the Tigers (3-5) in the seventh-place game.

Johnny Hendrix added 11 and Terrance Jones and Derrick Hardy 10 each for Mc-Clellan. E.J. Crawford’s 15 points paced Central while Kylon Nichols and Eric Nichols added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Sports, Pages 27 on 12/09/2012

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