BAUXITE -- Ben Madison scored 32 points and Bauxite needed every one of them as the Miners held off a late charge to defeat Arkadelphia 56-53 and claim a share of the 4A-7 Conference lead Tuesday at Dawson Gymnasium.
Madison started the second quarter with an alley-oop dunk and scored 18 points to lead Bauxite (15-3, 5-2) to a 40-28 lead going into halftime, but Arkadelphia (7-10, 5-2) switched to a zone defense and was sparked by 26 points from Bryant Robinson.
The defensive change in the second half nearly worked. Arkadelphia outscored Bauxite 12-4 in the third quarter and pulled as close as 42-40, but Madison, who had missed his first six shots of the second half, scored on an offensive tip-in and added seven more points to give Bauxite a 55-46 lead with 3:50 to play.
Robinson scored twice, then a three-point play and a short jumper by Jeff Blake pulled Arkadelphia to within three with 10 seconds to play. After a Bauxite turnover, Blake missed a game-tying three-pointer that was rebounded by Madison as time ran out.
"We had been playing well against a zone all year, but we just got real stagnate," Bauxite Coach Andy Brakebill said. "We weren't catching the ball and everybody was standing around, and then we missed some shots too.
"Some nights it is there. We shot the ball well in the first half, but in the second half we didn't move it like we were suppose to. We held on to win, and that's good."
Bauxite also got 15 points from Dylan Melton, who accounted for all of the team's scoring in the third quarter. Robinson scored six points and Blake added a basket for Arkadelphia to cut Bauxite's lead to 44-40 with one quarter to play.
Bauxite started the game with a three-pointer by Austin Green, but Robinson gave Arkadelphia an 8-6 lead and scored all 10 points in the first period. Madison hit a three-pointer, Derrick Strong hit a 12-footer and Brady McCool scored inside with three seconds to go to give Bauxite a 17-10 lead.
Despite Madison's scoring in the second quarter, Arkadelphia stayed within striking distance with three consecutive three-pointers by Adrian Barrett.
Bauxite made 10 of 13 free throws in the first half but missed its only free-throw attempt leading by five, 56-52, with 18 seconds left.
ARKADELPHIA (53)
Robinson 12 2-5 26, Barrett 3 0-0 9, Blake 4 1-1 9, Carter 2 0-0 4, Jones 1 1-1 3, Crowder 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 4-7 53.
BAUXITE (56)
Madison 11 5-6 32, Melton 5 3-5 15, McCool 1 2-3 4, Green 1 0-0 3, Strong 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 10-14 56.
Arkadelphia (7-10); 10 18 12 13 -- 53
Bauxite (15-3); 17 23 4 12 -- 56
Three-point goals -- Arkadelphia 3 (Barrett 3), Bauxite 8 (Madison 5, Melton 2, Green). Fouls --Arkadelphia 17, Bauxite 7. Fouled out -- Carter.
Sports on 01/21/2015