JONESBORO -- Jonesboro avenged last season's Class 6A semifinals loss in emphatic fashion in the Natural State Hoopfest finale Saturday night at Don Riggs Hurricane Gymnasium.
Jonathan Adams led Jonesboro with 19 points and eight rebounds as the Hurricane defeated reigning Class 6A champion (now 5A) Little Rock Parkview 67-47.
The Hurricane (7-0) used a 12-0 run to jump to a 12-3 lead, then used a 13-0 run to go up 27-9 in the middle of the second quarter.
"I thought we needed to get off to a good start just for a confidence thing," Jonesboro Coach Wes Swift said. "They took it to us last year in the state semifinals, and that was kind of lingering in the back of people's heads a little bit. If you let them come out here and lead 12-3, that's when you start thinking here it goes again. But we got out to that fast start, and that did wonders for our confidence."
Leading 36-20 at halftime, Jonesboro pushed the lead to 48-25. Parkview (7-2) countered with a 7-0 run to pull within 48-30, but Kyle Moore got a rebound putback with 12 seconds left to make it 50-30 after three quarters.
"You have to give Coach Swift credit. He had them ready to play," said Parkview Coach Al Flanigan, whose team beat Jonesboro 69-57 in last season's state tournament. "I tried to tell our guys that they wanted to beat us because they were still thinking about that loss in the state tournament, but I couldn't get them up."
The Patriots cut the deficit to 17 three different times during the fourth quarter, but Jonesboro answered each time.
Marquis Eaton had 15 points and 5 assists, and Tony Hutson chipped in 13 points for Jonesboro.
"You're going to hear Jonathan Adams or Desi Sills or Marquis Eaton every night, or sometimes Ben Harvey, but I thought Tony Hutson was absolutely outstanding tonight," Swift said. "He played with such poise, and he was so aggressive tonight, but at the same time he was making sound decisions. It was a collective effort tonight, which is what it takes to beat a team like that."
Khalil Garland paced the Patriots with 14 points. Javon Franklin added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. CJ White scored 10 points.
Sports on 12/18/2016