PREP BASKETBALL: Farmington adjusts, knocks off Subiaco Academy

OZARK -- What a difference a half made for Farmington in a first-round matchup Wednesday at the Class 4A North Regional tournament in the Hillbilly Activity Center.

Farmington was able to shake off a slow start on both sides of the ball to eventually pull away and secure a spot in the state tournament with a 59-50 victory against Subiaco Academy.

Subiaco was able to get 59% of its first-half shots to fall, while Farmington was limited to just 39% from the field. That changed in the second half. Farmington overcome a halftime deficit by shooting 53% and holding its opponent to just 35% shooting in the second half.

"Our guys overcame poor coaching because I was frustrated and didn't do a good job of adjustments early," Farmington coach Johnny Taylor said. "We were already nervous and not making shots, and I felt like I made it worse. At halftime, we talked about playing more in a zone and we settled down after that."

The balanced offense from Farmington was led by Nathan Monroe and Layne Taylor each scoring a team-high 15 points. Caleb Blakely (13 points) and Carson Simmons (12) each added double-digit scoring as well.

Subiaco was guided by a game-high 18 points from Conner King and 16 from Ivan Martijin.

Farmington found itself down 16-9 after the initial quarter of the game. Subiaco helped push out its edge with an 8-0 run to close out the first frame. The Trojans made their first five shots of the game but also had six turnovers in that timeframe, which allowed the Cardinals to keep it close early.

Subiaco got a basket from Martijin to give them a 32-21 edge late in the second quarter. Farmington then used a 7-0 run to close out the first half strong and were down just 32-28 after that heading into halftime.

"For awhile we played really well," Subiaco Academy coach Tim Tencleve said. "We had some turnovers, but we survived that because we were passing the ball well. When we turned it into a dribble feast, we didn't play as well."

Farmington was able to break through and take the lead with about two minutes left in the third quarter. Taylor made a basket to give Farmington a 39-38 edge it would then not give back.

Subiaco was able to get a deep shot to fall off the backboard from King that cut Farmington's lead to 54-50 with 53 seconds left in the game. But the Trojans weren't able to get any points after that and turned the ball over three times in the final minute.

"I thought when they hit the half-court shot, we were snake bit," Taylor said. "But our guys played well after that. This was a nice game for us because every team we see after this will look just like that with a lot of athletes."

It was a team effort on offense in the fourth quarter for Farmington, which had all five starters score. Monroe made five of six free-throw shots to help ice the game. Blakely also scored five fourth-quarter points. Roman Carlson also stepped up and scored all of his four points in the final frame.

"I was proud of the way we were able to finish," Taylor said. "We had some guys step up and hit some key free throws. We switched our defense and played well on that side of the ball."

Morrilton 71,

Shiloh Christian 50

Morrilton fell behind early, but it made up for the slow start after that to punch its ticket to the state tournament, which it will host.

The Devil Dogs were guided by Joseph Pinion, who is committed to the University of Arkansas, with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. Darrius Allison and Brock Hendrix also added 12 points each.

The Saints got a team-high 18 points from Jeremiah Washington. Eli Wisdom and Bodie Neal each chipped in 10 points as well.

Shiloh was able to hold a 20-17 lead after the first quarter of the game, but Morrilton found its way on offense after that. The Devil Dogs putting together a 26-point second quarter to take a 43-29 edge into halftime.

Girls

Pea Ridge 49, Dardanelle 35

The Lady Blackhawks used a strong second quarter Wednesday to gain the lead, and it never gave it back while securing a spot in the state tournament.

Pea Ridge was guided by a team-high 13 points from Aidan Dayberry. Blakelee Winn also chipped in 11 points for the Lady Blackhawks.

Dardanelle got a game-high 14 points from Bethani Walter and also 10 from Rylea Manning.

The Lady Sand Lizards hit a three-pointer at the first quarter buzzer to tie the game at 11-11. Pea Ridge then outscored Dardanelle 15-6 in the second frame for a 26-17 halftime lead.

The Lady Blackhawks closed out the game strong, pushing their lead out with a 14-point final quarter. Ravin Cawthon had nine points all in the second half to help provide a spark.

Morrilton 58,

Berryville 33

The Lady Devil Dogs used a balanced offense to pull away and secure their spot in the state tournament they will host.

Morrilton got a team-high 16 points from Grace Brown, 15 from Cheyanne Kemp and 13 from Kennedy Reel. Berryville was guided by 15 points from Lilli Compton.

Berryville was down just 15-9 after the first quarter, but Morrilton picked up the pace on offense after that. The Lady Devil Dogs used a strong second quarter to double their lead, 29-17, heading into the break.

Morrilton put the game well out of reach with a strong second half as well, outscoring Berryville 29-16 after halftime.

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