HOT SPRINGS - Forrest City made good on its second chances to earn its first state title.

Sophomore guard Robert Glasper scored 18 points and the Mustangs turned nine offensive rebounds into 17 points in the second half on their way to a 69-60 victory over Jacksonville in the Class 5A state championship Friday afternoon at Summit Arena.

Forrest City (24-4) trailed 35-29 at the half, but out rebounded the Red Devils 22-11 in the final two quarters.

They also stopped throwing up unwanted three-pointers.

“We did a better job of getting touches inside,” Forrest City Coach Dwight Lofton said. “We shot 14 threes in the first half and that’s not our game. Our three-point game comes off what we do inside.”

The victory gave Forrest City its first state title. The Mustangs reached the 2007 title game but lost to Jonesboro. The defending state champion Red Devils were playing in their fourth state title game since 2009, but on Friday, they eventually fell victim to the taller Mustangs.

University of Arkansas signee Trey Thompson was limited to 10 points and nine rebounds, but the Mustangs had plenty of offense to go around.

Glasper also grabbed six defensive rebounds in the second half for the Mustangs. Dwain Whitfield, a 6-5 senior who provided some valuable play in assisting the 6-10 Thompson, finished with 13 points. Seniors Jayshun Jordan and Trent Stein finished with 12 and nine points respectively.

Forrest City’s balance and shot selection came as a surprise to Jacksonville Coach Victor Joyner.

“I watched five tapes of Forrest City,” Joyner said. “They made seven three-pointers tonight and I don’t think I saw them take that many three-pointers in those five games.”

Led by nine first-half points from junior guard Devin Campbell, the Red Devils were able to grab their six-point halftime lead. Jacksonville scored the final nine points of the first half. It was the Red Devils’ largest lead of the game.

Campbell finished with 15 points. Senior Kanaan Jackson added 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Freshman Tyree Appleby scored 10, but the Mustangs held senior guard Sergio Berkley to three points on 1 of 9 shooting.

Glasper and Jordan each had 3 three-pointers in the first half, but the Mustangs were 6 of 14 on three-point attempts in the first half. The Mustangs did not take over the game until they began to get the ball into the hands of Whitfield and Stein, who combined for 22 points in the second half.

“I told our guys that it was only three possessions and it was going to be very important that early in the third quarter that we have some defensive stops,” Lofton said. “We always seem to play better in the second half.”

While Forrest City hit 12 of 25 shots from the floor in the second half, Jacksonville managed only a 9 of 27 showing.

“I thought we stayed rattled the entire game,” Joyner said. “We couldn’t slow down. … We couldn’t get anybody to settle down. We started taking long, quick shots and we couldn’t get the long rebounds. … In the long run, [Forrest City’s] height just won out.”

Friday’s game featured four ties and the lead changed hands 11 times. But when Stein hit a put back with 1:56 left in the third quarter giving Forrest City a 42-41 lead, the Mustangs never trailed again.

“Joyner did a great job,” Lofton said. “They were doubling on us defensively and they were very aggressive early. But once we got our momentum going, I knew we just had to hang on at the end.”

A three-pointer by Appleby with 7:28 remaining pulled the Red Devils to within 47-46, but Forrest City scored 17 of the next 24 points.

Jacksonville was never any closer than six points in the final 90 seconds. Forrest City finished the game on an 18-game winning streak and by winning 23 of its final 24 games.

“We started 1-3 and looking back at it, it was the best thing that could have happened to us,” Lofton said. “It forced us to look in the mirror and determine what kind of team we were going to be.”

Quotebook

“I thought we stayed rattled the entire game. We couldn’t slow down. … We couldn’t get anybody to settle down. … In the long run, [Forrest City’s] height just won out.”

Jacksonville Coach Victor Joyner, after Friday’s 69-60 loss to Forrest City at Summit Arena in Hot Springs

Sports, Pages 22 on 03/15/2014