Two little guys from North Little Rock came up big in the closing moments for the Joe Johnson Hawks on Friday night.
Tracy Steele, 6-1, and D.J. Smith, 5-7, each hit three-pointers in the final 1:45 to help the Hawks fight back from a six-point deficit for a 63-61 victory over Woodz Elite in front of a standing-room-only crowd in the 15th annual Real Deal in the Rock at P.A.R.K. on Geyer Springs Road in Little Rock.
"In games like this, big-time players make big-time plays," Real Deal founder and Hawks Coach Bill Ingram said. "We're just trying to get these kids better for their high school teams. That's what it's all about."
Woodz Elite, formerly known as the Arkansas Wings, scored seven consecutive points to take a 59-52 lead with four minutes to play, but turnovers, ill-advised shots and the Hawks' clutch shooting eventually doomed Coach Raymond Cooper's team.
"We made some really bad decisions with the ball down the stretch," Cooper said. "We haven't had a lot of practice, so those are some of the things we can clean up. We had the game under control. We just took a couple of quick shots we shouldn't have taken, and we turned it over a couple of times."
Smith's three-pointer with 1:45 remaining cut the Hawks' deficit to 59-56. After a Hawks' steal and a free throw by Smith pulled the Hawks to within two, Woodz took a lead on Steele's 21-footer from the right corner.
"It's the little things that brought us back," said Steele, who scored all five of his points in the final eight minutes. "I felt like it was the shot to take."
Woodz regained the lead when Tamaury Releford, a 6-6 center from Fayetteville, scored from inside the lane, but on the Hawks' ensuing possession Terran Williams of Marianna hit two free throws with 25 seconds left that gave the Hawks the lead for good.
Steele capped the scoring with a free throw with four seconds remaining. Releford's desperation 35-footer at the final horn was short.
"It's like a civil war," Ingram said. "We respect those guys. They play hard. We play hard. We just happened to come up with the 'W' today. It's an intense rivalry, and it was the type of game you expect to see."
Williams led the Hawks with 16 points. Madison Peaster finished with 13 points and Smith added 10.
Jakari Livingston, a 6-2 guard from Mills, led Woodz Elite with 14 points. Releford and Jourdain Dishmond, a 6-8 center from Alexandria, La., each finished with 11 points. Releford and Jacksonville's Ryan Maxwell each grabbed six rebounds.
Sports on 04/06/2019