Pea Ridge Edges Gravette

STAFF PHOTO MARC F. HENNING -- Pea Ridge's Nick DeLeon, center, passes the ball off between Gravette's Cole Turner, left, and Matt VanOtterloo during the Blackhawks' game Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, against the Lions in Pea Ridge.
STAFF PHOTO MARC F. HENNING -- Pea Ridge's Nick DeLeon, center, passes the ball off between Gravette's Cole Turner, left, and Matt VanOtterloo during the Blackhawks' game Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, against the Lions in Pea Ridge.

— Pea Ridge coach Charley Clark wanted the basketball in the hands of senior Jacob Hall at crunch time Tuesday.

Hall didn’t disappoint his coach.

Hall hit two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to lift the Blackhawks to a 44-43 victory against Gravette in a key 4A-1 Conference boys game. The win keeps Pea Ridge (18-5, 9-2 4A-1) a game behind league-leading Farmington and two games ahead of the Lions (11-9, 7-4).

Terence Pierce gave the Lions their first lead of the game with two free throws for a 43-42 lead with 11.5 seconds left. But Hall was fouled driving to the basket, and he hit both free throws for the win. Hall finished with 13 points, and he missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 1 minute, 28 seconds left with Pea Ridge leading 40-39.

“We spend a lot of time speaking about physical toughness and mental toughness,” Clark said. “We missed some free throws earlier, but great mental toughness by Jacob. We had to have those. We wanted Jacob with the basketball. He is our best offense, and we feel good with the ball in his hands.”

Nick DeLeon led Pea Ridge with 15 points while Evan Tillman was also in double figures with 11.

Pierce finished with 20 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter as the Lions fought back from a 11-point first half deficit. Pea Ridge led 25-17 at halftime.

“We didn’t play in the first half,” Gravette coach Dustin Peters said. “I was proud of the way we played in the second half, but we were not prepared to play.”

Gravette 12 5 9 17 — 43

Pea Ridge 14 11 6 13 — 44

Gravette (11-9, 7-4): Pierce 20, Pollreis 8, VanOtterloo 5, Troutner 5, Parker 3, Nims 2.

Pea Ridge (18-5, 9-2): DeLeon 15, Hall 13, Tillman 11, Davis 3, Mangrum 2.

GIRLS

Gravette 61, Pea Ridge 31

Pea Ridge scored the game’s first five points, but the Lady Lions responded with a 14-0 run to take command.

Samantha Pruitt stopped the early run with a 3-pointer, and the junior finished with 14 points for Gravette. Destaney Wishon led Gravette with 22 points while Monica White added 12.

Mikhaela Cochran scored 12 points for the Lady Blackhawks.

Gravette 14 17 13 17 — 61

Pea Ridge 7 6 8 10 — 31

Gravette (7-13, 3-8): Wishon 22, Pruitt 14, White 12, DeWitt 6, Davis 4, Bayley 3.

Pea Ridge (3-15, 1-10): Cochran 10, Cypert 6, Winn 4, Schooley 3, Tuszynski 3, Caton 3, Church 2.

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