PINE BLUFF -- Jacksonville's next-game mentality has it on the brink of doing something that hasn't been done by an Arkansas team in a long time at the King Cotton Holiday Classic.
The Titans got a big game from junior guard Devonte Davis, but it was a pivotal defensive play from sophomore guard Ryan Maxwell in the closing moments that enabled them to beat Gulliver Prep (Fla.) 72-68 on Friday in the tournament semifinals at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
Davis, an Oklahoma State signee, finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for Jacksonville (7-3), which can become the first Arkansas team to win the prestigious event since Russellville beat St. Joseph Notre Dame (Calif.) in the 1991 championship. But history isn't something the Titans are searching for according to Coach Victor Joyner.
"They just want to play the next game," he said. "They weren't aware of the magnitude of Thursday's win, and they're still not aware of how big this one was, at least not as aware as I want them to be. They're excited about the win, but they don't really care.
"Because of my scheduling, we'll play a game, and then go 10 days without playing. They get tired of practicing against each other, and just want to play games. But don't get me wrong. This means a lot to me personally, but those kids just want to know when the next game is."
Jacksonville (7-3), which is coming off a fifth-place finish in last week's Arkansas Pride Tournament at North Little Rock, will look to win the title at 8 p.m. today against the winner of Friday's late game between Long Beach Poly (Calif.) and The Park School of Buffalo (N.Y.).
Maxwell finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals for the Titans, who hit 25 of their 55 shot attempts but dominated the Raiders on the glass. Jacksonville outrebounded Gulliver Prep 44-23, including 17-7 on the offensive end. Sophomore forward T.J. Stewart added nine points and five rebounds for Jacksonville.
Junior forward Tony Sanders hit 5 three-pointers and turned in a game-high 31 points for Gulliver Prep (9-5), which also went 25 of 55 from the field but didn't take its first lead until late in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Gabe Taylor had 19 points, 6 assists and 3 steals and senior guard Spencer McWhorter ended with 9 points, but the Raiders were forced to play from behind for most of the game and couldn't capitalize down the stretch.
"We started off a little slow," Gulliver Prep Coach Manny Bloom said. "[Jacksonville] was a little bit bigger, a little more athletic than us, but we did make some big plays at times. But the rebounding hurt us, especially in the first half.
"And Davis is just a really good player. He made tough shots and tough plays all game, particularly when we'd get close."
Jacksonville played at the pace it wanted in its 60-54 upset of top-seeded Sam Houston (Texas) on Thursday and was able to do the same for the most part against the Raiders. Davis made all 4 of his shots and had 9 points in the first quarter as the Titans raced out to a 20-14 lead. Maxwell had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the quarter, with his tip-in off a Davis miss in the final seconds giving Jacksonville a 34-29 lead at the half.
The Titans stayed in control during the second half until a Sanders basket started a flurry that led to the Raiders' first lead of the game. He and McWhorter hit back-to-back three-pointers to put Gulliver Prep ahead 60-57 with 3:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville eventually regained the lead and led 65-63 with less than a minute left before Maxwell came up with a defensive play that cleared the path to the Titans' victory.
Taylor came up with a steal and fed Sanders for what appeared to be an easy lay-up, but Maxwell sprinted back and fouled him while trying to go for the block. Sanders would miss the ensuing free throws.
"That was big," Joyner said. "He's got so much ability, especially with those long arms and is getting better at being aggressive.
"He's still a work in progress, but he's starting to put it together on both ends."
The Titans hit 6 of 6 free throws over the final 27 seconds to book their spot in the title game.
LANDRY WALKER (LA.) 59, PINE BLUFF 57
Senior guard Torey Cargo scored 11 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter as Landry Walker slipped past Pine Bluff.
Cargo hit 3 three-pointers over the last eight minutes for the Buccaneers, who established a 13-point lead in the first half. Sophomore forward Jamond Vincent added 14 points and five rebounds for Landry Walker (10-5).
Kaleb Higgins came off the bench to score 28 points for Pine Bluff (2-7). Junior guard Taiveon Harris had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals.
Pine Bluff fell behind 15-2 with Higgins on the bench, but once the senior entered late in the first quarter, the Zebras clawed back. He scored the team's next eight points, including two 27-foot three-pointers, to jump start their rally. Landry Walker led 24-12 following a short jumper from junior guard Michael Edgerson before a free throw by Higgins started a 9-2 run that had the Zebras within five (26-21) at halftime.
Pine Bluff tied the game at 26-26 on a Higgins' three-pointer at the 6:57 mark of the third quarter and took the lead on two occasions, the latter of which occurred on another Higgins' three-pointer that gave the Zebras a 37-35 cushion. Vincent's four-point play with 5.5 seconds left in the quarter allowed the Buccaneers to take a 39-37 advantage into the fourth.
Landry Walker preceded to hit three-pointers on four of its first five possessions of the final quarter and staved off a last-ditch comeback from Pine Bluff.
The Buccaneers shot 19 of 45 for the game while the Zebras were 20 of 50.
LONG BEACH POLY (CALIF.) 70, THE PARK SCHOOL (N.Y.) 61
Long Beach Poly (Calif.) overcame a 9-0 deficit and survived a 36-point onslaught from Noah Hutchins to take down The Park School (N.Y.) and move into today’s championship.
Senior guards Justin Rene (19) and Malik Salahuddin (16) combined for 35 points for the Jackrabbits, who outscored the Pioneers 41-24 over the second and third quarters to open up a big lead. Long Beach Poly (10-3) led 35-23 at halftime and held a lead as big as 52-34 in the third quarter. The Park School (5-1) trimmed its deficit to 58-51 after two free throws from Hutchins with 3:01 left, but that was as close as the Pioneers would get.
Senior guard Giordan Williams had 15 points, and sophomore guard Peyton Watson had 10 points and 6 rebounds for the Jackrabbits. Long Beach Poly went 23 of 45 from the floor.
Sports on 12/29/2018