LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock McClellan got a quality victory away from home, and it took everything the Lions had to get it.
Senior forward Michael Thompson scored 14 points, 12 in the second half, as McClellan beat host Pulaski Academy 60-50 on Friday night in a 5A-Central Conference game.
Pulaski Academy led 26-23 at halftime. Freshman guard Lawson Korita got the Bruins’ offense going early by hitting his first three three-pointers. Pulaski Academy (5-4, 2-1) led 13-12 at the end of the first quarter, but Tronsayne Ellis kept McClellan (9-5, 3-0) close in the second quarter. Ellis scored several points in transition until he was temporarily injured after falling on his back while hitting a layup that tied it 22-22 with 2:21 remaining in the first half.
Ellis led the Lions in scoring with six points when he was hurt and went to the bench. He returned, but did not score again, and Pulaski Academy pulled ahead.
“I thought it was two teams that didn’t want to be 2-1 [in conference],” McClellan Coach Chris Threatt said of the game’s intensity.
McClellan led for most of the third quarter, but the final minute was hectic and saw several lead changes. Tyler Colquitt’s three-point play put Pulaski Academy ahead 38-36 with 56 seconds left in the third quarter. Jason Hendrix tied it with a floater in the lane, but Marcus Wallace countered with a reverse layup amid defensive pressure to put the Bruins back ahead. Thompson then hit a three-pointer at the buzzer that put McClellan ahead 41-40 heading into the fourth quarter.
Sports, Pages 22 on 01/12/2013