Sylvan Hills put the clamps on Kris Bankston while earning a 57-50 victory at Little Rock Fair in a 6A/5A-4 Conference game Wednesday night.
Seniors Jacobe Davis and Taleh Wade each scored 17 points and the Bears held the 6-8 Bankston -- an Arkansas-Little Rock signee -- to 14 points and 4 rebounds.
"Our focus was to stop Fair's big man," said Davis, who scored 12 of his points from the free-throw line. "He's a dominant player, so we just decided to pack it in and hold him to as few points as possible."
Bankston was 6-of-8 shooting, but Fair Coach Charlie Johnson said the War Eagles did not go to their center as much as they should have.
"The game plan we talked about before we went on to the court was the exact opposite of how we played," Johnson said. "The game plan was to get the ball into Kris all night long, but we just wouldn't give him the ball."
While the Sylvan Hills' defense kept Bankston at bay, the Bears found success with their outside shooting. Sylvan Hills (13-2, 2-1) was 7 of 13 on three-point attempts. Senior Daylon Raynor had four of the Bears' three-pointers.
"At times, we've shot the ball really well," Sylvan Hills Coach Kevin Davis said. "Raynor hit some big buckets for us tonight, but we've been pretty balanced across the board with our shots. ... If they're free and they're open and it's a good, quality shot, we want those kids to take it. I thought that was pretty consistent to what we've been doing."
Sylvan Hills never trailed after the 4:56 mark of the first quarter. The Bears led 16-10 after one quarter and 26-17 at the half. Fair (10-5, 1-2) got within 28-24 with 5:05 left in the third quarter when guard Cedric Christopher's layup capped a 7-0 War Eagles' run. But the Bears responded by scoring the next seven points, including an over-the-shoulder and under-the-basket shot by Jordan Washington.
The War Eagles scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, but Bankston was held to one field goal.
"We made it a conscious effort that we were going to have to do that to Kris because he's such an amazing player," coach Davis said. "I thought our kids really dialed in on what their assignment was."
Jacobe Davis, who was 0 of 4 from the free-throw line in the second quarter, hit 10 of 12 free-throw attempts in the game's final 3:51. He made his final six attempts, keeping the War Eagles from getting any closer than six points in the final quarter.
Wade hit two three-pointers and was 5 for 5 from the line to help account for his 17 points. Raynor finished with 14 points and five steals. Washington collected a game-high nine rebounds.
Fair junior guard Kameron Stafford matched Bankston with 14 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Michael Foust led the War Eagles in rebounding with eight. Deaveon Bankston led Fair in steals with four.
Sylvan Hills was 15 of 38 from the floor and held a 27-21 advantage on the boards. Fair was 20 of 40 from the floor.
SYLVAN HILLS (57)
Davis 2 12-18 17, Raynor 4 2-2 14, Wade 5 5-5 17, Washington 2 1-4 5, Smith 0 0-0 0, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Curry 1 0-2 2. Totals 15 20-31 57.
FAIR (50)
Christopher 1 0-0 2, Stafford 6 0-0 14, Sykes 1 0-0 2, D. Bankston 3 2-2 8, Gilbert 2 0-0 6, Hawkins 0 0-0 0, Foust 1 2-4 4, K. Bankston 6 2-5 14. Totals 20 6-11 50.
Sylvan Hills (13-2) 16 10 12 19 -- 57
Fair (10-5) 10 7 13 20 -- 50
Three-point goals -- Sylvan Hills 7 (Raynor 4, Wade 2, Davis); Fair 4 (Stafford 2, Gilbert 2). Team fouls -- Sylvan Hills 13, Fair 21. Fouled out -- D. Bankston, Gilbert.
Sports on 01/12/2017