Jacksonville got the defensive stop it needed and remained undefeated in the 5A-Central Conference through the first half of league play after its road victory over Little Rock Hall on Tuesday night.
The Titans held off the Warriors for a 36-35 victory at George Cirks Arena to improve to 7-0 in the 5A-Central.
The game was tied at 35-35 with 2:07 left to play after Jacksonville junior forward TJ Stewart made 1 of 2 free throws.
The Warriors then held the ball for almost two minutes. With 15 seconds remaining, Hall senior guard Ja'Core Williams, who was defended by Jacksonville senior guard Davonte Davis, attempted a go-ahead jumper. Williams' shot did not fall and Davis pulled down the rebound.
Hall Coach Jon Coleman said he wished his team would have taken more time off the clock to get off their shot attempt.
"We should have held it for three or four more seconds," Coleman said. "The shot that we got was a decent shot, but we really wanted to drive to the basket."
With 2.9 seconds left, Jacksonville senior forward Jalen Taylor was fouled by Hall senior guard Carlos Miller. Titans coaches pleaded to the officiating crew for a goaltending call, but did not get it.
However, Taylor then made the second of two free throws to give the Titans a 36-35 lead.
Miller attempted a last-second three-point attempt, but it was no good as the Titans secured the victory.
Jacksonville Coach Victor Joyner said he appreciated his team's poise down the stretch on the road.
"We had to be patient and not try to break down defensively," Joyner said. "We did a good job. It worked in our favor down the stretch. We didn't panic and we stayed within ourselves."
Davis, a University of Arkansas signee, led the Titans (11-4) with 14 points and was the only Jacksonville player with at least 10 points.
Hall (7-8, 3-4) was led by Williams, who had a game-high 15 points.
Jacksonville led 17-14 at halftime.
Hall took a 24-21 lead in the third quarter, then Davis hit a three-pointer and senior forward Deorius Cobbs' layup helped Jacksonville tie the game at 26-26 before the end of the quarter.
The game was tied at 26-26 entering the fourth quarter. Jacksonville junior guard Braxton Brown hit a three-pointer to give the Titans a 34-33 lead with 3:55 left. Hall responded with 2:40 remaining as senior forward Dylon Session's basket gave the Warriors a 35-34 advantage.
Jacksonville is one game ahead of Sylvan Hills atop the standings through seven games of conference play. Joyner said he is proud of what his team has accomplished in the 5A-Central so far.
"It's a blessing from God," Joyner said. "In this league, with all of these players and coaches in here, to be 7-0, it's a blessing. You can drop one, two or three games in a heartbeat.
"Our kids are getting mentally stronger. The rotation is getting a little deeper. It's helping us."
GIRLS
JACKSONVILLE 58, LR HALL 42
Da'kariya Jackson scored 23 points to lead Jacksonville (11-8, 6-1 5A-Central) past Little Rock Hall (2-17, 1-6).
Jackson was one of three Lady Titans to score at least 10 points. Brooklyn Roland finished with 15 points, while Jayla Taylor added 10.
The Lady Warriors were led by Jada Johnson's 14 points. Kendra Pride chipped in with 10 points.
Jacksonville trailed 12-8 after the first quarter, but led 20-17 at halftime. The Lady Titans extended their lead to 40-30 at the end of the third quarter, during which Jackson scored 14 of her 23 points.
Sports on 02/05/2020