MAGNOLIA — Harrison’s boys basketball team tested Little Rock Parkview on Thursday night, but the Patriots showed resiliency in the second half and prevailed with a 67-50 victory over the Goblins in the Class 5A boys state tournament quarterfinals at Panther Arena.
Parkview (27-5) will play Sylvan Hills or Morrilton in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We’re playing well at the right time,” Parkview Coach Al Flanigan said. “We’re feeling good about it.”
Harrison, the 5A-West’s No. 2 seed, ended its season at 24-6.
Two days after routing Watson Chapel 75-41, Parkview didn’t find Thursday’s game to go nearly as smoothly.
Parkview trailed Harrison 37-36 midway through the third quarter after Nathan Jenkins’ layup, but the Patriots went on a 12-2 run to end the quarter to take a 48-39 lead. Ethan Henderson gave Parkview a 38-37 lead with a layup, then C.J. White and Allen Flanigan hit three-pointers to push the lead to 44-37 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter. Khalil Garland punctuated the run with a dunk to make it 48-37.
“Defensively, we picked it up,” Al Flanigan said. “We got a couple of steals and broke it wide open. You’ve got to give them credit. They’re a good ballclub.”
Harrison’s Jackson Marseilles knocked down a three-pointer with 2:33 to play to cut the lead to 57-50. That was as close as the Goblins would get, as the Patriots closed the game out at the free-throw line, going 16 of 21 for the game.
White led the Patriots with 20 points and six rebounds. Javon Franklin and Moses Moody each had 11 points while Garland, a University of Arkansas at Fayetteville signee, added 10 points. Garland fouled out with 3:53 remaining.
Trevor Atwell led the Goblins with 19 points and made 3 three-pointers. Tanner Curry finished with 10 points.
“These guys were highly successful,” Harrison Coach David Stahler said. “We feel like we were one of the top four teams in the state. You can shake those four around on any given night.
“Any of them can beat any of them. I don’t think anyone can tell me any differently.”
HOT SPRINGS 60,
LITTLE ROCK FAIR 54
Exavion Christon finished with a gamehigh 23 points as Hot Springs (21-10) held on to beat Little Rock Fair (18-12). The Trojans went on a 19-0 run in the second quarter en route to a 35-20 halftime lead. But the War Eagles pulled within 57-53 with 44.6 seconds left on Jeanvie Mbani’s basket.
Hot Springs, despite shooting 8 of 19 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, was able to hold off Fair.
Santi Thomas added 10 points for the Trojans.
Khyron Gilbert led Fair with 19 points. Kris Bankston and Mickael Foust each had 10 points.
MILLS 69, MAGNOLIA 39
Grehlon Easter finished with 25 points to lead the Comets past the host Panthers.
Magnolia (12-13), which trailed 15-4 at the end of the first quarter, got within 24-18 with 2:00 left in the second quarter thanks to an 8-0 run. But Mills built its lead back to double digits and led 34-21 at halftime.
Mills (28-2) pulled away in the second half as Easter hit three of his four three-pointers in the third quarter as the Comets took a 50-26 lead into the fourth quarter.
Senior forward Greg Martin had a team-high 14 points for Magnolia while senior guard Trey Davis added 13.
Sports on 03/03/2017