4A-EAST REGION BOYS: Jonesboro Westside cruises while Felts fills up stat sheet

Jonesboro Westside’s Avery Felts (10) drives to the basket against eStem defender Laityn Sheppard during the Warriors’ 71-55 victory over the Mets on Wednesday at the Class 4A-East Region tournament in Lonoke. The junior guard finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 5 steals.
Jonesboro Westside’s Avery Felts (10) drives to the basket against eStem defender Laityn Sheppard during the Warriors’ 71-55 victory over the Mets on Wednesday at the Class 4A-East Region tournament in Lonoke. The junior guard finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 5 steals.

LONOKE -- A hot start by the eStem Mets was overwhelmed by Avery Felts and the Jonesboro Westside Warriors.

Felts, a 6-2 junior guard, scored 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, handed out 9 assists and made 5 steals in Westside's 71-55 come-from-behind victory over the Mets in Wednesday's action in the 4A-East Region tournament at the Gina Cox Center.

Westside (22-5) advances to Friday's semifinals to play either Southside Batesville or Gosnell.

The Mets hit 6 of 7 three-point attempts in the first quarter and held as much as a 30-21 lead in the second quarter, but the Warriors fired back, taking the lead for good on Avery's short jumper with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Felts, who also connected on 15 of 18 free-throw attempts, came into Wednesday's game averaging 25.3 points a game.

"I felt like all of our guys came out with some intensity in the second half, but Avery stepped it up tonight and he played very well," Westside Coach Scott Whitmire said. "I've seen him do that this year, and he did a great job for us. We needed him to because eStem is a good team."

"He's big time," eStem Coach Josh Hayes said. "And he's just a junior. He can play above the rim. He can do it all.

"We actually gave him some problems but all we got for that was foul trouble. After that we couldn't turn him anymore, and he did a good job of getting to the rim."

The Mets (21-13) rode senior guard Peyton Sewell's shooting to an early advantage. Sewell, who hit four three-pointers in the first quarter, finished with 20 points, but he scored only five points in the second half.

"I was hoping they wouldn't continue shooting that well," Whitmire said. "But the main thing is that we kept battling. Avery kept us in the game even though they had the hot start. We were only down four heading into the second half, so we knew we had a chance."

After going 8 of 14 from the floor in the first quarter, the Mets finished 21 of 57, including an 8-of-30 performance on three-pointers. Westside was 22-of-48 shooting, including 3 of 12 from three-point range.

Sophomore Riley Felkins and junior Dylan Schwarz each added 10 points for Westside.

Junior Jacob Profit scored 12 of his 13 points in the first half for eStem. Sophomore Jacob Sanders scored 10 of his 15 points in the third quarter, helping the Mets maintain an advantage until the final nine minutes. Sophomore Laityn Sheppard led eStem with 11 rebounds, and senior Jeremiah Encalade handed out a team-high seven assists.

BAPTIST PREP 72,

TRUMANN 50

Junior guard Issac McBride hit all 10 of his field-goal attempts and finished with 30 points as the Eagles (26-5) defeated the Wildcats (14-16).

Trumann, which trailed 50-29 entering the final quarter, scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to pull within 50-38 and had a chance to pull within nine, but a three-pointer lipped out and Baptist Prep followed with a layup from James Singleton and two free throws by Daniel Cobb.

Singleton finished with 15 points and Cobb 10. Trumann sophomore Ben Turner led his team with 22 points and six rebounds. Junior Cody Roland added 13 points.

photo

High school basketball Jacob Sanders (2) of eStem drives around Jonesboro Westside’s Dylan Schwarz during Wednesday night’s game at the Class 4A East Region tourna ment in Lonoke. Jonesboro Westside won 71-55.

Sports on 02/22/2018

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