RUSSELLVILLE -- Mills was never in danger of losing its game with Greenbrier on Friday afternoon in the first round of the Hoops for Hunger Cyclone Classic.
Coach Raymond Cooper's Comets led Greenbrier 35-20 at halftime at the Russellville High School Arena and went up by as many as 22 early in the third quarter during a 66-55 victory.
But Greenbrier kept hitting three-pointers -- five in the game's final five minutes -- and Cooper said he felt he needed to call timeout to remind his team that there was work to be done, even with a 60-49 lead with 2:03 to play.
"I was telling them during the timeout, we're up 11 with 2 minutes to go, this is a game," Cooper said. "I just said, 'Fellas, we need to buckle down, and they did.' "
Baskets by Jakari Livingston and Caleb Allen extended the lead to 64-49, and the Comets (10-1) advanced to today's 5:30 p.m. semifinal.
Greenbrier, which played for the first time in two weeks, comes back for another 11:30 a.m. game today in the consolation bracket.
Greenbrier Coach Mike Simmons can hope the Panthers resemble the team that hit 13 of 26 second-half shots, not the team that was 7 of 26 in the first half.
Greenbrier (2-6) finished with 10 three-pointers, seven coming in the second half.
"They give you some open shots at times," Greenbrier Coach Mike Simmons said of Mills, "but that's the whole key to staying with them. You've got to shoot a high percentage to have a chance to beat them, and we didn't. We looked like we hadn't played in two weeks."
Cooper said he thought Greenbrier was aggressive in pursuing two-point shots in the second half, which allowed it to get some open three-point attempts.
Simmons said it took a half for the Panthers to adjust to the above-the-rim play of the 6-4 Livingston (23 points), 6-4 Joseph Bell (8), and 6-1 forwards Caleb Allen (13) and Darius Dixon (12).
"We settled down a little bit and got used to their speed," Simmons said. "It enabled us to relax and make some shots."
Greenbrier shot better in the second half, but the Panthers never shut Mills down when the Comets approached the rim.
"When we have to pressure them, and they get 3-on-2s, we can't defend them up above the rim," Simmons said. "That's one of our hard places to guard. We were able to compete and do some stuff."
Cooper said the Comets needed to go inside because they weren't hitting their outside shots -- 3 three-pointers in all -- and when Greenbrier starting clicking, he started to get concerned.
"It changes everything," Cooper said of the three-point shot. "A 10-point lead is nothing."
At least it felt like that when Greenbrier's Chole Linn (14), Kobe Dunlop (11) and Evan Dillon (11) hitting on their three-pointers in the second half.
"We had some spots where we were sluggish," Cooper said. "They were more aggressive. We had some missed assignments, left guys wide open, that kind of stuff."
ROGERS 62, BAPTIST PREP 45
Drew Miller scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the first half as Rogers built a 13-point halftime lead that was never threatened.
Baptist Prep (5-7) scored more points at the free-throw line (11) than it did from the field (10) against the Mounties (9-0) in the first half.
Rogers had four players with 11 or more points: Miller, Elliot Paschal (13), Derek Hobbs (11) and Will Liddell (11).
Brooks Spoon and Andrew Evans led Baptist Prep with 11 points each.
Girls
PULASKI ACADEMY 43,
VAN BUREN 42
Jazzmene McMillan (21 points) hit a three-point basket as time expired to lift Pulaski Academy (8-2) to victory over Van Buren (4-7) in the day's opener.
Pulaski Academy led 25-19 at halftime and 32-27 after three quarters, but Van Buren rallied and took a 42-40 lead on two free throws from Brooklyn Kannady with 59 seconds to play.
Pulaski Academy got the ball back and called timeout with 11 seconds to go.
The Bruins worked the ball to McMillan, who hit her shot from just left of the top of the key.
DANVILLE 56, FS SOUTHSIDE 25
Lydia Stanley scored all 12 of her points in the first half as the Lady Little Johns (8-2) built a 41-3 halftime lead against the Mavericks (0-10).
Jalene Tolbert led Danville with 15 points, 8 in the second half.
Sports on 12/28/2019