Martin Luther King’s RJ Norwood (left) defends against Arabia Mountain’s Korey Gribble (11) during Arabia Mountain’s 62-54 win on Friday night. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Arabia Mountain scored 10 points in the final 3:59 to hold off a furious Martin Luther King rally on the way to a 62-54 Region 4-5A high school boys’ basketball victory at Arabia Mountain on Friday night.
The Rams (5-5, 1-0) were leading by nine (50-41) with 6:16 to play when the Lions led by Devin Bowers who scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Bowers hit a pull up jumper with 3:16 to play to close the gap to three at 52-49.
A layup by Traevon Williams on a n assist from Dontravious Stringfield extended the Rams’ lead back to five at 54-49. The Lions (3-7, 0-1) forced a pair of turnovers on the Rams’ next two possessions but could not take advantage having a turnover of their own and missing two free throws.
Brenden Rose stepped up for the Rams hitting a three-pointer from the right wing with 1:20 to play to push the lead out to 57-49. Rose would also hit one off three free throws while Bowers drove to the basket twice to keep the Lions in striking distance trailing 58-53 with 21 seconds to play.
King fouled both Rose and Dewayne Shenley in the final 18 seconds only to have the pair step to the line and knock both of their free throws to ice the game.
Arabia Mountain led for most of the game following a Joseph Smith steal and layup to go ahead 5-4 with 2:31 left in the first quarter. The Lions continued to battle trailing 23-19 at the half. Then rallying to take their last lead of the game on a Jaelon Johnson rebound on the baseline for a layup with 3:25 left in the third quarter for a short-lived 32-31 advantage.
The Rams answered with an 11-0 run to go up 42-32 as five different players scored in two-minute span, the last a layup by Gribble with 1:17 left in the period.
Arabia Mountain had three players hit double figures in the game as Joseph Smith and Brendan Rose both hit for 12 points and Dewayne Shenley added 10. Bowers led the Lions with his game-high 20 points. Zion Vassall had nine points and 12 rebounds and Noah Brown added five points and 13 rebounds.
Arabia Mountain’s Jayla Thomas (3) goes in for a layup on a fastbreak against Martin Luther King’s Amelia Stewart (4) during Arabia’s 91-11 win. (Photo by Mark Brock)
GIRLS: Arabia Mountain 91, M.L. King 11
Arabia Mountain scored 22 points in the first 3:55 of the game and never looked back on the way to a 91-11 Region 4-5A girls’ basketball win over Martin Luther King in the opener at Arabia Mountain.
Malaya Jones hit for 10 of the 22 points and Myori Pruitt’s steal and layup with 4:05 left in the first period made it 22-0. The Rams then substituted for all five starters and went into the second period of up 29-0.
A pair of Jones three-pointers sandwiched another Pruitt steal and layup to open the second quarter and opening a 37-0 lead with 6:59 to play in the half.
Brianna Jackson’s free throw with 6:02 left in the half got the Lady Lions (0-8, 0-1) on the board but it would be the last point of the half. Aaliyah Ismaaeel’s steal and layup with 10 seconds left in the half made it a 55-1 lead at the half.
King scored seven points in the third quarter, three on free throws by Asia Bell. Cherysh Browning hit the Lions’ first basket of the game on a drive in the lane with 4:06 to play in the third quarter.
Browning finished the game hitting a long three-pointer at the buzzer to make the final of 91-11.
Malaya Jones scored a game-high 29 points to go with eight steals and three rebounds. Myori Pruitt scored 13 points, Sierra Burns added 12 points and six rebounds and Jayla Thomas came off the bench to score 11 points.
Browning finished with five points and four rebounds while Asia Bell had three points and eight rebounds.