Harrison can't handle LR Parkview's pressure

CLASS 5A

LR PARKVIEW 49, HARRISON 30

Little Rock Parkview played it cool for the first two quarters Friday, then turned up the pressure in the second half to beat Harrison.

The Patriots forced 13 turnovers over the final two quarters and never allowed the Goblins to get comfortable on offense in rolling to a 49-30 victory in the second round of the Class 5A boys state tournament at Maumelle High School.

Senior center Ethan Henderson scored 11 of his 13 points after halftime for Parkview (23-8), which is heading to the semifinals for the third year in a row. Henderson added 4 rebounds and 3 blocks while senior guard C.J. White added 13 points and 8 rebounds. Junior forward Allen Flanigan had 11 points for the Patriots, and senior forward Arion Simmons chipped in with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals.

Parkview, which was 18 of 40 from the field, had just 7 turnovers for the game, but the same can't be said for its counterparts.

Harrison (26-5) committed 20 turnovers, but a disastrous second half caused its undoing. The Goblins rarely got clean looks at the basket in the third and fourth quarters, hitting just 3 of 17 shots. There were times when Harrison struggled to get the ball up the floor because of the pressure the Patriots were applying.

"Harrison has a good team, and they play well together," Parkview Coach Al Flanigan said. "But we played defense in this one. That's the biggest thing that I'm proud of.

"They got out there and defended their butts off. That's one thing we can hang our hats on every night."

The Patriots held Harrison leading scorer Skyler Young in check for most of the game. The senior forward, who scored 32 points Tuesday in a victory over Camden Fairview, had just 5 points and 8 rebounds Friday before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.

Senior guard Colton Youngblood had 9 points to lead the Goblins, who finished 7 of 36 from the floor and had their 16-game winning streak snapped.

Parkview went on a 7-0 run to grab an 11-2 lead in the first quarter, and led 13-8 at the start of the second. But the Patriots went cold from the floor, giving Harrison an opening. The Goblins were equally frigid shooting in the period but stayed close by hitting free throws. Harrison was 11 of 16 from the foul line in the quarter and 12 of 18 in the half. Parkview was just 2 of 5 from the free-throw line but still led 23-21 at halftime.

The Patriots began extending their defense once the third quarter began and started playing more at their pace on offense. Harrison was within 30-26 with 2:08 left in the period, but Parkview outscored the Goblins 14-4 over the next four minutes, with Henderson scoring eight.

Parkview next takes on Hot Springs today at 1:30 p.m. for a chance to play in its third consecutive championship game.

"We watched them Thursday night, and they're scrappy," Flanigan said of the Trojans. "They've got a good team, and it's going to be a good game.

"But of course, we don't worry about what they do. We just have to worry about what we do."

LITTLE ROCK FAIR 43, WATSON CHAPEL 41

Senior forward Berry Sykes hit the go-ahead layup with 11.1 seconds left to lift Little Rock Fair (24-5) into the semifinals.

Watson Chapel had a chance to win it, but Kavon Mitchell's three-pointer hit the side of the rim just before the final buzzer.

Senior forward Michael Foust scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the War Eagles, who shot 18 of 41.

Senior center Willie Vaughn had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Watson Chapel (16-15), which finished 16 of 38 from the field. Senior guard Willie Webster had 10 points.

MILLS 57, MORRILTON 38

Senior Kevin Cross finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds as Mills (27-2) drubbed Morrilton.

Senior guard Grehlon Easter had 15 points and senior forward Kaevon Jones ended with 11 points and 5 rebounds for the Comets, who will play Little Rock Fair tonight at 7:30 in the semifinals.

Mills, who was 25-of-48 shooting, forced the Devil Dogs into 21 turnovers, 9e of which occurred in the first quarter.

Senior guard Laken Dillard had 11 points for Morrilton (24-8), which trailed 30-14 at the half and hit just 13 of 41 shots for the game.

Sports on 03/03/2018

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