Basketball: Urquidi, Decatur eye state tournament berth

Mario Urquidi, Decatur senior, shoots Dec. 2 over Mansfield defenders at Lloyd Peterson Gymn in Decatur.
Mario Urquidi, Decatur senior, shoots Dec. 2 over Mansfield defenders at Lloyd Peterson Gymn in Decatur.

DECATUR -- Mario Urquidi has developed into an all-around player over the past four seasons.

Decatur's 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior post player will end his career in the Arkansas record books for career blocked shots, rebounding and possibly scoring.

Class 2A West Regional

At Johnson County Westside, Coal Hill

Boys

Wednesday

Game 1: Eureka Springs vs. Hector, 5:30 p.m.

Game 2: St. Joseph vs. Johnson County Westside, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday

Game 3: Bigelow vs. Decatur, 5:30 p.m.

Game 4: Magazine vs. Western Yell County, 8:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5:30 p.m.

Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 1:30 p.m.

Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner 6, 7:30 p.m.

Girls

Wednesday

Game 1: Johnson County Westside vs. St. Joseph, 4 p.m.

Game 2: Hector vs. Magazine, 7 p.m.

Thursday

Game 3: Conway Christian vs. Hackett, 4 p.m.

Game 4: Mountainburg vs. Quitman, 7 p.m.

Friday

Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.

Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, noon

Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner 6, 6 p.m.

Mario Urquidi

SCHOOL Decatur

CLASS Senior

POSITION Post

HEIGHT 6-4

WEIGHT 195

NOTABLE Is averaging 19.1 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. … Is also averaging two assists and two steals a game. … Urquidi has almost 290 career blocks, and he is averaging 2.5 blocks a game this season. … Has 45 career double-doubles, including 15 this season.

"Mario can score inside or outside," said Decatur coach John Unger. "He can dunk now with more ease and play above the rim. He can play point guard or play the post. He can guard a point guard, and he can guard a post player. He was 180 (pounds) as a junior, but he came back at 195. He has got a lot stronger in the weight room."

One thing still eludes Urquidi and the Bulldogs, and that is a chance to play for a state championship in the Class 2A State Tournament.

Decatur has fallen short in the regional tournament in each of the past two seasons, including last year's loss to Bigelow. Urquidi and the Bulldogs will get a chance at redemption Thursday when they face Bigelow again in the Class 2A West Regional Tournament at Johnson County Westside in Coal Hill.

The winner will punch their ticket to the Class 2A State Tournament the following week.

Urquidi is averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds a game, and he will end his career as the leading shot-blocker in state history as he already has 287 swats. He should also finish among the top five rebounders in state history (967), and he is closing in on 1,700 career points. He has 45 career double-doubles, including 15 this season.

But it is making the state tournament that is most on Urquidi's mind.

"We are excited to play Bigelow because we want to beat them," he said. "We know that we can beat them if we play like we are capable of playing. We basically have the same team that we did last year. We have worked hard all year, and now it is time to show what we have done and get to the state tournament."

While Urquidi makes Decatur go, he must have some help if the Bulldogs are going to take the next step. Victor Urquidi, Mario's twin brother, is averaging 8.3 points a game while Meng Vang and Pheng Lee are averaging six and five points, respectively.

"We have accomplished a lot the last three years, and we are like a family," Urquidi said. "This is our third time to get to regionals, and we all have to work hard and play well to go to state."

Unger took the Decatur job before the 2011-2012 school year, and he immediately knew Urquidi had a high ceiling.

"The first time I saw him was in August as a ninth-grader," Unger said. "You could tell that Mario was a great athlete that could run and jump. He was more physically advanced than most ninth-graders his age. He wasn't very polished, but they always wanted to be in the gym."

Urquidi played every game as a freshman, but the Bulldogs' struggles on the court continued. Those struggles would soon end as the Bulldogs would win the 2A-4 Conference regular season championship Urquidi's sophomore season.

Last season, the Bulldogs shared the title with Eureka Springs before winning the championship outright this season with a 13-1 record. Postseason blues continued for Decatur last week as it was upset by Magazine in the district tournament semifinals.

That has Decatur as the No. 3 seed in the regional and the date with No. 2 seed Bigelow to see if the Bulldogs can take the next step.

Paul Nielsen can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaul.

Sports on 02/26/2015

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