MAUMELLE -- Mills didn't play as well as Coach Raymond Cooper hoped for during Wednesday's game against Wynne, but the Comets were good enough to advance.
Junior forward Kevin Cross scored a game-high 19 points, including four dunks, and pulled down 12 rebounds to push No. 1-ranked Mills to a 77-44 victory in the first round of the Class 5A boys state tournament at Maumelle High School.
Senior guard Grehlon Easter had 12 points while junior guard Orion Virden had 10 for the Comets (26-2), who jumped to a 23-3 run in the second quarter to help put Wynne away.
"I was probably way more nervous than them," Cooper said of his team. "They were looking at me like I was nuts, but I know anything can happen during the state tournament. Wynne is a well-coached team, and I knew we had to play well.
"We got off to a raggedy start, but once we finally settled in, we were OK."
Senior center Kaevon Jones added 9 points and 9 rebounds for Mills, which ran its winning streak to 25 games. The Comets have rarely been tested during that run, but the Yellowjackets provided a stiff challenge early.
Wynne (10-19) held a lead in the opening quarter and was down just 18-15 by the start of the second quarter, but Mills' pressure in the back court began to take a toll. The Yellowjackets turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions of the quarters, with the Comets turning three of those miscues into points. Mills scored the first eight points of the quarter and later put together a 15-0 run, punctuated by a Jones' three-pointer that effectively ended Wynne's season.
"We can't come out the way we did and expect to win games like that," Cooper said. "We're a good team when the ball is moving. We weren't doing that early, but when we're working the ball around and just letting the offense happen, we're a much better team."
The Comets led 43-20 at the half and held a cushion as big as 36 points in the second half.
Junior forward Terry Burgess had 10 points for Wynne (10-19), which was 18-of-49 shooting. Mills, which will play either Magnolia or Morrilton in a second-round game Friday, finished 27 of 51.
BLYTHEVILLE 53, LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN 51
Senior guard Tony Newmy scored a game-high 21 points, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:16 left, to lead Blytheville (16-12) to a comeback victory.
Junior guard Treay Jamison scored 13 points and junior forward Winston Peace had 11 for the Chickasaws, who trailed 40-27 with 3:55 remaining in the third quarter but stormed back behind Newmy. Blytheville advances to the second round where it will take on Hot Springs tonight at 8:30.
Little Rock Christian (20-8) did have a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Will Strickland's 30-footer went halfway down before rolling out. Junior guard Justice Hill had 18 points for the Warriors while sophomore forward Christ Hightower had 11. Strickland finished with 10.
LITTLE ROCK PARKVIEW 62, NETTLETON 52
Senior guard C.J. White had a gamehigh 20 points as Little Rock Parkview (22-8) dominated on the interior to beat Nettleton.
Senior center Ethan Henderson had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks for the Patriots, who will face Harrison at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Senior forward Arion Simmons added 12 points and 8 rebounds.
Junior guard Kevin Fulton had 20 points for Nettleton (21-8), which trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half but got as close as 50-44 in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Kortez Hamilton had 10 points.
Sports on 03/01/2018