High school report

Bentonville’s Malik Monk (35) hit 11 three-pointers Friday night on his way to scoring 43 points in the Tigers’ 73-51 victory over Siloam Springs in Bentonville.
Bentonville’s Malik Monk (35) hit 11 three-pointers Friday night on his way to scoring 43 points in the Tigers’ 73-51 victory over Siloam Springs in Bentonville.

Mustangs take it to extremes

Forrest City’s boys started the week with a 55-point home victory over Beebe and ended it with a 68-64 nailbiter at Paragould.

Coach Dwight Lofton found positives with both games.

“You never expect a situation where you win a game 71-16, but our guys were pumped to avenge the losses they handed us last year,” Lofton said.

“Everything just clicked, and then Friday we had a game where we had to make some crucial decisions in the fourth quarter. That’s going to help us for later in the season, especially when it comes time for the state tournament.”

The Mustangs (11-4, 5-0 5A-East) have won 10 of their past 11 games since Lofton inserted sophomore guard R.J. Glasper into the starting lineup. Glasper is averaging 18 points and five assists per game.

“He is playing lights out,” Lofton said. “He’s a little guy, but that young man is going right at them. … With [University of Arkansas signee] Trey [Thompson] in the middle, R.J. has given us a true inside-outside game.

Teams are having to pick their poison against us.”

As a freshman, Glasper led the Mustangs’ junior high team to a 15-0 start before suffering a broken wrist in the last two weeks of the season. Without him, Forrest City lost three of its final four games.

Glasper scored 24 points in Friday’s victory over Paragould. He scored a season-high 37 points and hit 8 of 13 three-point shots in the final of the Poplar Bluff (Mo.) Shootout.

“We’re averaging about 15 assists a game, and it’s because our guys have bought into what we’re doing,” Lofton said. “R.J. has been a big part of that.”

SYLVAN HILLS BOYS Three OTs in a row

After back-to-back overtime losses, the Sylvan Hills boys had an extra period game go their way Friday night.

Point guard Cordy Winston made 1 of 2 free throws with 2.0 seconds left in overtime to give the Bears a 67-66 victory at North Pulaski.

Winston, a sophomore who finished with a team high 20 points, also was credited with a basket at the end of regulation that sent the Bears to their third consecutive overtime game.

“It was a goal tending call with a second left,” Sylvan Hills Coach Kevin Davis said. “I’ve never seen that call at the end of a game, but I thought it was a good one. The ball was on the rim when one of their players slapped the backboard pretty violently.”

Ronnie Hinton added 18 points in the victory.

Sylvan Hills suffered a 60-58 overtime loss to Little Rock Christian on Jan. 17, and then lost 79-77 in overtime to Pulaski Academy on Jan. 21. Friday’s victory was a welcome reward for the Bears (8-8, 2-4), who are fighting to stay alive in the 5A-Central Conference race.

“Another loss would have been tough on us for sure,” Davis said. “Our guys have learned that you have to play through all kinds of situations.”

Davis said he’s not surprised by the amount of overtime games there have been in league play.

“I think it’s a credit to our conference,” Davis said.

“It’s been incredible. All eight teams are playing great basketball. I’ve always said high school basketball is for the players and the fans, and the fans are certainly getting their money’s worth.”

Sylvan Hills welcomes conference leader Jacksonville (16-3, 6-0) into the Bears’ Den on Tuesday and then begins the second half of the league’s round robin play at Little Rock McClellan (10-8, 4-2) on Friday.

MCGEHEE BOYS Winning the close ones

McGehee’s boys have won all 10 games they have played this season, but Owls Coach Jerome Pace said his team is letting too many points escape.

The Owls made only 16 of 31 free throws in Tuesday’s 72-70 overtime victory against Drew Central and made only 22 of 45 in a 56-50 victory over Smackover.

Pace said that combined 50 percent effort is a big concern.

“There’s no one dominant team in this conference, and right now we’re not shooting very well from the free-throw line,” Pace said.

“I think some of players just haven’t found their touch yet.”

McGehee (10-0, 3-0) has won its three 3A-8 Conference games by a combined 14 points. The Owls had to fight back from a 34-26 halftime deficit to defeat Drew Central (9-9, 0-2). Senior Tracey Lawson led the Owls with 19 points.

“The guys have a lot of confidence,” Pace said. “They are capable of measuring up to last year’s team, and that’s something I always talk to them about. I ask them, ‘Do you want do better than last year’s team? Do you want to go further than last year’s team?’ And I think they do.

… This group will listen and they know how to execute.”

McGehee finished 24-5 last season and advanced to the Class 3A state semifinals.

Pace said Lawson is averaging 20 points and six rebounds but has recently been suffering from an ankle injury. Junior Trevon Spratt is scoring 18 points per game, while juniors Ryan Berry and Evander Bailey are averaging 12 points each. Berry is the team’s top rebounder, collecting eight a game.

The Owls return to action Tuesday with a conference game at Camden Harmony Grove.

SCRANTON BOYS Road tests await

Scranton’s boys team is unbeaten in the 1A-1 West Conference, but Rockets Coach James Roby said he sees potential trouble with two road games in the next couple of weeks.

“We’ve got games at Kingston and County Line that will be very big tests for us,” Roby said. “We’ve done a good job so far of maintaining our focus and intensity, but I’ve found that it’s hard to be able to reach your highest level of play day in and day out.”

Scranton (25-1, 8-0) defeated Kingston 60-34 and County Line 58-44 earlier in the season, but those games were played on the Rockets’ home court. Roby expects his team will get all it can handle when the Rockets go on the road.

“I’ve never had a team win at County Line,” said Roby, who is in his third season at Scranton. “It’s one of the toughest places to play.”

Roby said guard play is one of the biggest reasons behind the Rockets’ success this season. Junior point guard Seth Siebenmorgen is averaging 16 points per game and is “the best passer” Roby has coached.

“He’s got a special gift,” said Roby, who is in his 19th year in coaching. “He does a great job of making his passes and getting the ball to the right man.”

Senior Cory White and sophomore Conor Roby - the coach’s son - round out the Rockets’ trio of guards.

“They can all shoot the three, and that’s pretty important,” Coach Roby said. “They can all score and all of them play good, solid defense.”

Roby said Brandon Berg, a 6-7 post player, is becoming a bigger offensive threat with each game and that the Rockets’ fifth starter, Houston Koch, “rarely scores, but is a scrappy player who does so many good things it’s hard to keep him out of the lineup.”

Scranton lost its first game of the season Thursday night to Concord, the No. 1 team in Class 1A.

MARMADUKE GIRLS Asking for a little more

Marmaduke’s Sidnee Bopp had been relatively quiet in her previous six games, but Lady Greyhounds Coach Rick Smith wanted more scoring from his 5-6 junior in Thursday’s 2A-3 Conference game at Marked Tree.

Bopp responded by hitting 5 of 9 three-pointers and finished with 27 points as Marmaduke (25-4, 12-1) earned a 69-49 victory.

“The last six games, she might have had 20 [combined],” Smith said.

“She had been doing a great job with her steals and assists, but I went to her and told her, ‘You need to score tonight.’ ”

Since losing in the semifinals of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational, the Lady Greyhounds have reeled off eight consecutive victories and remain a game in front of Rector (24-4, 10-2) in the league race.

Marmaduke will play at Rector on Feb. 3

“I really think Rector has as much talent in anybody in 2A,” Smith said. “I didn’t know if our conference could really be better than it was last year, but apparently it’s pretty good again. There’s a lot of quality in this league.”

Smith is hoping the Lady Greyhounds continue on their hot streak. Bopp isn’t only Marmaduke’s leading scorer (12.9 points a game), but she is also averaging 4.4 assists, 4.3 steals and only 1.1 turnovers per game. Allison Hampton, a 5-8 junior, is averaging 10.5 points a game, and Smith said 5-11 junior post player Shelby Blackburn is having a breakout year averaging 7.9 rebounds.

MAUMELLE BOYS Short-handed for a half

Maumelle leads the 4A-4 Conference boys race, but the Hornets (12-7, 8-0) will face one of their toughest challenges Tuesday night at Pottsville, the defending Class 4A state champion.

Maumelle won a 76-73 decision at home against Pottsville in December.

Maumelle’s lone conference loss last season came at Pottsville, and on Tuesday the Hornets will be without two of their starters for the first two quarters.

Neither J.B. Minix nor Kendall Donnerson will be on the bench during the first half of Tuesday’s game.

Both received a technical in the Hornets’ previous game against Waldron. Maumelle Coach Chris Shook requires players who receive technical fouls to sit out a half in their next game.

“That’s a rule that I have had since the first day I started here,” Shook said.

“It’s hurt us in the past, and I’ve had other coaches tell me it’s [a] rule I should get rid of, but I think we should do more for these kids than make them good basketball players. They should be good students and citizens too. We will have to have other guys step up.”

Minix led the Hornets with 17 points and Donnerson had 15 in Thursday’s 90-72 victory.

Shook said a tough nonconference schedule - which featured games against top-ranked Little Rock Parkview, Pulaski Academy and Clarksville (twice) - has been beneficial to the Hornets’ conference success.

“It’s kind of a balance,” Shook said. “You don’t want them to get discouraged, but you want them battle-tested.

“I’m still not happy with where we are. We have a long ways to go, but our schedule has helped with our toughness.”

MALVERN GIRLS Third-quarter rally

Needing a spark, the Malvern Lady Leopards turned to Raven Baker on Friday night for an eventual 52-45 victory over Central Arkansas Christian in a battle of the 4A-7 Conference leaders.

Baker, a 5-8 junior, scored 12 of her 20 points in the third quarter as the Lady Leopards (14-2, 7-0) rallied from a 22-20 halftime deficit to remain perfect in league play. Malvern Coach Jess Martin said CAC junior center Sydnie Jones and senior forward Falan Miller were giving the Lady Leopards a rough time.

“We had a little powwow at the half about not guarding Jones and Miller,” Malvern Coach Jess Martin said. “We played a lot better defensively in the second half.”

Baker connected on 3 three-pointers in the third quarter and completed a three-point play near the end of the quarter to allow Malvern to take a 38-31 lead into the final quarter.

Seniors Tiffany Murdock and Akasha Westbrook added 10 points each for Malvern. Jones led CAC with 17 points and Miller had 14.

“We’ve got to go to their place in a couple of weeks, but it’s big to get that first one,” Martin said.

LAST-SECOND SHOTS

Maynard’s Colton Watson broke his school record Tuesday night with a 53-point performance against Armorel. His previous best was 51 points in a December game against Crowley’s Ridge Academy. Watson, who scored 38 points in Friday’s victory over Naylor, Mo., is averaging 36.4 points per game. … Izard County (14-12, 7-2) has clinched at least a share of the 1A-2 North Conference title after Friday’s 66-56 overtime victory over Viola. Sophomore Andrew Walker scored 36 points and had four rebounds for the Cougars. Viola sophomore Elijah Grigg led his team with 31 points. … The 4A-3 Conference girls race will be decided Monday night when Brookland (21-2, 9-1) plays at Valley View (17-4, 9-0). Valley View won the previous meeting 55-42 on Dec. 17. Ashleigh Guthrie, a 5-9 junior forward, has averaged 23.3 points in Valley View’s past three games.

At a glance

STATE TOURNAMENTS MARCH 4-8

CLASS 7A Conway CLASS 6A Jonesboro CLASS 5A Alma CLASS 4A Lonoke CLASS 3A Charleston CLASS 2A Hampton CLASS 1A Harrison

(NACC) REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS FEB. 26-MARCH 1

CLASS 4A NORTH Lincoln SOUTH Nashville EAST Clinton CLASS 3A REGION 1 Elkins REGION 2 Benton Harmony Grove REGION 3 Mountain View REGION 4 Drew Central CLASS 2A NORTH Pangburn SOUTH Gurdon EAST Carlisle WEST Eureka Springs CLASS 1A REGION 1 Lead Hill REGION 2 Izard County REGION 3 Mount Vernon-Enola REGION 4 Cossatot River

Sports, Pages 27 on 01/26/2014

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