Blackhawks, Tigers roll over Lions

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Wes Wales (Blackhawks 23) and Johnny Dunfee (Lions 22) fight for control of a rebound during the Pea Ridge-Gravette conference contest in Pea Ridge Feb. 8. In the final regular season game for both teams, the Blackhawks emerged triumphant, taking the win, 47-45, over the Lions.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Wes Wales (Blackhawks 23) and Johnny Dunfee (Lions 22) fight for control of a rebound during the Pea Ridge-Gravette conference contest in Pea Ridge Feb. 8. In the final regular season game for both teams, the Blackhawks emerged triumphant, taking the win, 47-45, over the Lions.

PEA RIDGE -- For the Gravette Lions and the Pea Ridge Blackhawks, the Feb. 8 varsity boys' conference game at Blackhawk Gym marked the end of the 2018-19 regular season. Lion fans, who braved the cold to make the trip to Pea Ridge, faced disappointment when the Blackhawks claimed the victory by two points over the Lions.

Only 10 seconds elapsed off the game clock before the Blackhawks hit paydirt with a field goal for the first points of the contest. By the five minute mark, Pea Ridge had built a seven-point lead while holding the Lions scoreless. Ninety seconds later, Gravette finally got on the scoreboard on a layup by Brayden Trembly for two. By the end of the first quarter, the Blackhawks held a nine-point lead over the Lions.

The Lions continued to trail the Blackhawks until the halfway point of the second quarter when Gravette began to cut into Pea Ridge's lead. By the end of the first half, the Lions pulled to within two with 10 seconds left. With less than two seconds remaining, Pea Ridge's Landon Allison hit a jumper, extending the Blackhawks' lead to four at the break.

Pea Ridge got back on track in the first two minutes of the third quarter, extending its lead back to five. With two minutes left in the quarter, the Lions, trailing by nine, managed to shave down the deficit to four going into the final eight minutes of the contest.

The Blackhawks continued to hold the lead through much of the fourth quarter until the two-minute mark when the Lions tied the game at 43 all. Pea Ridge extended its lead to five once again with less than a minute left to play. The Gravette Lions cut the lead down to two but time ran out, giving the Pea Ridge Blackhawks the conference victory, 47-45.

Leading the way for the Lions was Jake Carver with eight, followed by Colby McCarthy and Issac Griffith, each with seven. Others contributing to the scoring effort included Kaleb Furlow and Tristan Batie, each with six, Brayden Trembly with five, Cy Hilger with four and Drake Short with two.

In the earlier game, played Feb. 5 at the competition gym in Gravette, the Lions went on the hunt when the Prairie Grove Tigers came to town. Before the start of the senior high games, Lion fans had the chance to show their appreciation to seniors Drake Short and Issac Griffith, who played their final home game as Gravette Lions.

Prairie Grove jumped in front early in the first half, outscoring Gravette, 14-8, and taking a six-point lead by the end of the first quarter. The Lions fought back in the second quarter and, by the break, cut the Tigers' lead to one.

The Tigers came back in the second half, holding the Lions to four points in the third quarter and extending their lead to 10 by the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Gravette tried to come back in the final eight minutes of play but fell short, and the Tigers defeated the Lions, 47-43, for the conference win.

Matt Busch's Lions finished the 2018-19 regular season with an overall record of 12-14 and a conference record of 4-9 for a seventh-place finish in the 4A Region 1 conference, ahead of Berryville and Gentry.

Sports on 02/13/2019