ROGERS — The playoffs begin Friday for Rogers High.
Freshman Jake Killingsworth led three Rogers players in double figures with 14 points and the Mounties held off a late Rogers Heritage rally to post a 54-47 victory Tuesday night in a 7A/6AWest Conference game.
The win keeps the Mounties’ (9-17, 3-10) state tournament hopes alive heading into the regular season finale at home against Springdale Har-Ber. Rogers must beat the Wildcats by nine or more points to extend the season to the Class 7A State Tournament for a eighth-straight time.
The win also gave Rogers a season sweep of the War Eagles.
“I’m proud of our kids and the way they came out and played,” Rogers coach Wayne Herren said. “They brought focus in knowing that they had to win the game.”
Killingsworth scored 11 points in the first half, making 3-of-3 3-point attempts and his lone two point attempt to help Rogers to a 31-20 halftime lead. Keifer Holt added 13 points for Rogers while Hunter Hill finished with 10 points. Killingsworth missed Friday’s loss at Van Buren with the flu.
“Jake came out on fire,” Herren said. “When he came out and played like that, we were pleasantly surprised.”
Wyatt Kinnamon led Heritage with 14 points while Xavier Thomas added 10 points. Heritage was within 49-45 with just under two minutes left in the game but the War Eagles were not able to overcome a 12-of-25 effort at the free throw line.
“Free throws hurt us tonight,” Heritage coach Tom Olsen said. “We had a few chances to get back in it, but a few other things hurt us, too. Rogers turned our mistakes into baskets. The type of year we are having and have our kids come back and battle like they did shows a lot of character.”
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Heritage 7 13 11 16 — 47 Rogers 18 13 10 13 — 54
HERITAGE (9-16, 0-13): Kinnamon 14, Thomas 10, Olsen 7, Hirsh 6, Fryauf 4, Greenway 2, Robbins 2, Jones 2. ROGERS (9-17, 3-10): Killingsworth 14, Holt 13, H. Hill 10, Jones 6, Smith 5, Gentz 4, R. Hill 2. JUNIOR VARSITY: Heritage 49, Rogers 40.