Lady Pirates Claim Regional Title

— A few weeks ago, the Greenland girls were struggling to live up to expectations as the defending Class 3A state champion.

 But after a regular season in which they couldn’t even reach the .500 mark, the Lady Pirates have reeled off five wins in a row in the postseason after a 44-43 win over Charleston in the 3A Region 1 Championship game on Monday.

“We’ve been in this situation a few times,” Greenland’s Anna Rogers said. “We’re not going to get rattled.”

 Rogers led Greenland (15-13) with 17 points and netted two pressure-packed free throws with 8.7 seconds left to push the Pirates in front.

 Charleston had a chance to try a game-winning shot, but Greenland’s Kianna Thompson knocked the ball away to force a turnover, effectively ending the game.

 “It was kind of nerve-wracking,” Rogers said of going to the free-throw line in the final seconds. “I shoot 50 free throws every day and that’s what I do it for. I just told myself to concentrate on the shot and it went in.”

Because the tournament was delayed by weather, Greenland won’t get any rest before opening play in the 3A state tournament at 7 p.m. today at Riverview High School in Searcy.

 Monday’s game was played before a packed gym full of rowdy fans from both sides. Charleston had won its semifinal matchup in a buzzer-beater in a similar pressure-packed environment. But the Lady Tigers couldn’t come up with another miracle.

Greenland 44, Charleston 43

Charleston 14 9 7 13 — 43

Greenland 14 2 11 17 — 44

Charleston (21-9): Wisdom 18, McLaughlin 11, Hutchins 8, Carmack 2, Prescott 2, James 2.

Greenland (16-13): Rogers 17, Thompson 14, Miller 8, Riggles 3, Brown 2.

 “It was just what I expected, a great ball game,” Greenland coach Alan Barton said. “The refs let them play and let the players determine the outcome and that is all a coach can ask for.”

 Rogers, the junior point guard and catalyst for the offense, picked up her second foul in the second quarter and Barton sent her to the bench.

 Greenland scored just two points in the second quarter and Charleston took advantage to roar into a 23-16 halftime lead.

 “Some people would probably say I was a dumb coach to put (Rogers) on the bench for the whole second quarter,” Barton said. “But we needed her out there at the end of the game.”

 Rogers scored six points in the third as Greenland cut the lead to 30-27 and seven more in the fourth. Her pass to Morgan Miller for a 3-pointer with under a minute to play pushed Greenland ahead 42-41.

 Maci Wisdom, who led Charleston with 18 points, drove inside for three straight buckets late with the last putting Charleston ahead 43-42.

 Charleston then fouled Rogers in the backcourt to set up the game-winning free throws.

 “It was a great game, Greenland is a great team,” Charleston coach Jason Rucker said. “We made some great plays and they made some great plays. Unfortunately, they made one more than we did.”

PARIS 61, ELKINS 41

The Lady Eagles secured the No. 3 seed from Region I with a lopsided win over the Lady Elks.

Elkins will open state tournament play at 1 p.m. Wednesday against the No. 1 seed from Region 4.

Destiny Skaggs led the Lady Elks with 18 points.

BOYS

WEST FORK 75, MANSFIELD 53

Josh Ferrell scored 37 points as the Tigers locked up the No. 3 seed for the state tournament. West Fork will open tournament play at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Trusten DeSoto added 16 points for the Tigers.

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