Asides

MBB: Cartwright’s late free throws help ease Hendrix past MWU 70-66 in Millsaps Classic

Brooks Cartwright (10) had four clutch free throws down the stretch in the Hendrix win over MWU. (Photo courtesy of Keith Kelley)

Jackson, Miss. – Brooks Cartwright sank four straight free throws down the stretch while forward Seth Stanley poured in a team-high 20 points and corralled nine rebounds as Hendrix beat MUW 70-66 win in the first game of the Millsaps Invitational Classic.

Hendrix (3-4) who led 31-26 at the break also got 14 points from Carl Fitch and a double-double from Jacob Link (11 points, 11 rebounds).

Stanley’s fast break dunk with 4:11 remaining in the first half helped the Warriors surge to a 36-26 advantage.

MUW tied the game at 57-57 on a short jumper by Tyler Jackson with 3 minutes and 58 seconds left.

But a pair of free throws by Link followed by a traditional three-point play by Fitch on Hendrix’s next possession helped the Warriors regain the lead for good at 62-57.

Jackson scored 21 points to lead the Owls (2-4).


HSFB: Explosive first quarter pushes Pulaski Academy past Morrilton 68-41

Little Rock – With one of the most explosive offenses in the state in Pulaski Academy facing off against dual threat Jacolby Criswell and his Morrilton squad, the scoreboard at Bruin Stadium was destined to get a workout.

And that notion certainly rang true after the dust settled in the Class 5A semi-final game between the two powerhouse teams.

Senior quarterback Braden Bratcher passed for 529 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 91 yards and another score as Pulaski Academy out-dueled Morrilton in a shootout 68-41 to advance to their fifth consecutive state championship game.

Bratcher finished 28-of-55 passing attempts with 619 all-purpose yards as the Bruins (11-2) will now prepare for a rematch with defending state champion Little Rock Christian, who halted a Bruins repeat in last season’s title game with a 52-38 win to end hopes of an unbeaten season for Pulaski Academy last year. The two teams will meet next Saturday, October 7 at War Memorial at noon.

Little Rock Christian (13-0) beat White Hall 42-14 in the other Class 5A semi-final.

Pulaski Academy scored on five first half offensive possessions to put the game out of reach early in cruising to a 32-13 cushion at intermission over a Devil Dogs team that had struggled most of the season but found its way over the last few weeks, winning four straight games entering Friday’s contest.

Bratcher tossed an 81-yard TD bomb to Mason Kolb to spark a four touchdown first quarter for the Bruins.

Sophomore tailback Joseph Himon added a 19-yard rushing touchdown on the next Pulaski Academy and then preceded to catch a 10-yard TD strike from Bratcher as the Bruins extended their lead to 18-0.

Bratcher would score his lone rushing touchdown from 27 yards out on their fifth possession to counter Criswell’s 19-yard touchdown run to get Morrilton on the board and the Bruins never looked back.

Criswell – a North Carolina commit – scored five touchdowns in his final high school game for Morrilton (8-5) to surpass 1,000 rushing yards on the season as he rushed for 252 yards on Friday.

Himon rushed for 99 yards on ten attempts to pace the Bruins.

HSBK: Talented McCuien ready to power another Mayflower boys basketball playoff run

Mayflower – Off the hardwood, Mayflower High’s Braxtyn McCuien is a typical 16-year old kid that enjoys the playful interaction between his friends and family.

But once McCuien takes the floor with his Eagles teammates, all eyes are on the 6-foot-7 inch junior.

Whether he likes it or not, McCuien has now become a fixture on everyone’s basketball radar.

The buzz began shortly after he was seen slamming home a dunk on social media giant YouTube at a AAU National Tournament in Las Vegas as a seventh grader.

But no matter what happens on the court, McCuien always projects a stone faced persona that has drawn comparisons to future NBA Hall of Famer and former San Antonio Spur Tim Duncan.

McCuien is a selfless player who rarely screams after an important basket or even after he makes a spectacular defensive play and is also mature enough to remain calm and collected when opponents talk trash.

There is not even any snapback or demonstrative arguing when he is whistled for a foul.

McCuien’s game simply speaks for itself and whenever he decides to communicate on the court, his opponents usually have their hands full.  

“I always let my game do the talking.” McCuien said succinctly. “People have to stop me before I say anything.”

McCuien is indeed a throwback player in an era of me-first millenniums who currently litter the landscape of high school basketball. 

Armed with his cool-as-a-cucumber attitude, dry wit and prankster ways, McCuien could very well be the perfect player to finally put Mayflower on the state basketball map.

McCuien led the Eagles to a 23-10 record in his first varsity campaign last season.

Mayflower’s playoff run ended in a disappointing 70-59 loss to eventual 3A state runner-up Drew Central in the state semi-finals last March.

It was the farthest a Mayflower boys’ team has advanced since 2015 when they lost 57-40 in the title game to Episcopal.

McCuien and his Eagles will be looking to defend their championship in the prestigious Joe Mallett Classic which begins play on Monday, December 2 at St. Joseph High School in Conway.

Last December, McCuien finished with a career-high 29 points – including 14 down the stretch – eight of them from the foul stripe to help the Eagles secure the trophy.

Usually on a home basketball game night in football crazed Mayflower, there were less than a hundred fans assembled in Eagle Gym on a regular basis.

But every since McCuien has suited up in the purple and gold, the arena has seen an increase of traffic which has included a handful of inquisitive college scouts.

Representatives from Texas Southern University, Northeastern State and Lyons College are among the many teams who have already begun jockeying for McCuien’s services when he graduates in 2021.

Off the court, he can sometimes be mistaken genetically for Junior Johnson, the eldest son on the ABC TV comedy series Blackish, but he would rather his on court game be likened to his basketball hero Kevin Durant.

“What’s not to like (about Durant) because he does everything.” McCuien said. “I know he’s better than me but that’s who I am trying to get like. He is the best player right now.”

Like Durant, McCuien has a doting mother who has put her son in the best possible position to realize his dream of playing in the NBA someday.

Even if his talent wasn’t evident at the very beginning. 

“When I saw him play early on I was like ‘Oh man, I don’t think this is your sport, just stick with baseball.” laughed Braxtyn’s mother Carrie Dycus. “But in the fifth grade I saw that he had something. “He didn’t get the nonchalant attitude from me because I have a bad temper. He did a little bit of everything though – rebounding, scoring and played good defense.”

Even though McCuien hung up his baseball gloves for the last time a few years ago, the competitive spirit has remained for basketball.

Mayflower head basketball coach Brent Stallings is now gratefully reaping the benefits of that decision as the Eagles look to make another deep playoff run.

“Braxtyn is a great post player because you don’t see a lot of kids that can do what he does.” Stallings said. “He can pick it up and drive right by you, he can shoot threes or he can post you up down low. He’s just a hard guard for most high school kids because he is long, lean and athletic.”

His biggest supporter is hoping for a continuation of what McCuien has already done to put college scouts and media types on notice to this point.

“I try to tell him that when you are a leader everybody follows suit.” Dycus said. “When he falls back so do his teammates. When he plays well, his team follows. And that’s what it takes to be a leader.”

WBB: Hendrix Women Drop Road Contest to East Texas Baptist 85-39

Staff Report

Marshall, Texas – Anissa Guiterrez and Kessie Jenkins recorded a team-high eight points each and combined for seven boards but it was not nearly enough as Hendrix dropped a non-conference contest to East Texas Baptist University 85-39 on Tuesday. 

Belle Nielson added a career-high seven points in the loss while Caroline Wendt added four rebounds for the Warriors. Hendrix falls to 2-3 on the year while ETBU improves to 3-3.

Hendrix hits the road to Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday to take on Louisiana College at 11 a.m. in the first day of the 2019 Millsaps Classic.

MBB: Slow Start Hampers Hendrix men in tough Non-Conference Loss at East Texas Baptist

Staff Report

Marshall, Texas – For the third time in six games, Hendrix traveled to Texas for a non-conference contest as the Warriors battled East Texas Baptist University, in search of its first win against the Tigers since 1989.

A slow start allowed East Texas Baptist to jump out to a 37-17 lead and they didn’t look back in claiming an 81-68 victory over Hendrix Tuesday night.

Sean Coman poured in a game-high 24 points on 8-of-22 shooting in 33 minutes of action.

A day after picking up his first-ever Southern Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week accolade, forward Seth Stanley recorded 20 points and five rebounds as the Warriors fell to 2-4 on the young season.

ETBU improved to 4-1.

HSVB: Conway’s Begley signs volleyball letter of intent with Rollins College

Conway’s Emma Begley (seated, on the right) signs letter of intent with Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

Conway senior Emma Begley recently signed her letter of intent to play volleyball collegiately at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

Begley helped lead the Lady Cats to a conference championship in 2017 and then a monumental state championship in 2018.

The Lady Cats compiled an overall record of 80-23 and a conference mark of 36-6 during her career at Conway.

Begley received several awards during her career at Conway – including All-State and All-Conference nods over the last two seasons.

“Emma has grown so much as a player over the last two years.” Conway head coach Laura Crow said.

“One of the greatest things about Emma is she always played full force. You never had to tell her to be more aggressive. She was always in a zone once the whistle sounded and could hit a mean slide.”

Begley finished her career with 399 career Kills and at a .216% hitting percentage this season.

Her 134 career blocks left her tied for seventh in school history.

The defending state champions failed to repeat after a three set loss to Fayetteville in the Class 6A state tournament.

Conway finished 20-13 with Begley pounding a team high 14 kills in the first round loss.

MBB: Last second shot by Jones delivers thrilling win for still unbeaten Hoop Hogs

Staff Report

Atlanta – Mason Jones banked in a step-back 3-pointer from about 25 feet with 0.1 seconds left on the clock in overtime to lift Arkansas to a 62-61 victory at Georgia Tech Monday night.

Jones scored 24 points, added six rebounds, four steals and three assists in the win for Arkansas.

Sophomore guard Isaiah Joe just missed his first career double-double as he had 13 points and a career-high nine rebounds with five steals, only one shy of his career high.

Arkansas took a one-point lead, 8-7, at the 16:12 mark of the first half and did not surrender it until Tech’s James Banks made a jumper with 21 seconds left in overtime, putting the Yellow Jackets up 61-59.

Tech’s defense was tough on the perimeter after Banks’ jumper.

But after crossing half court, Jones passed the ball to Joe who made a few dribbles to his right and threw the ball back to Jones.

Jones made a couple of hard dribbles to his and launched the final shot that caroomed off the backboard and into the basket for the win.

The game-winner was Jones’ third game-winner in the closing seconds of his career.

Last year, Jones free throw with two seconds left helped secure a 73-72 win over Indiana and then later he delivered another game winner with a short jumper in the lane for a 90-89 win at then #19 LSU.

Arkansas returns home to play Northern Kentucky in the final game of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow on Saturday (Nov. 30). Tipoff is set for 4pm.

MBB: Hendrix’s Stanley Claims SAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Week Honor

Hendrix junior forward Seth Stanley was named the SAA Player of the Week after a 31-point performance in a 89-79 conference win over Austin College.

Atlanta, Georgia – The Southern Athletic Association announced its weekly awards Monday afternoon and it was announced that junior forward Seth Stanley was awarded the SAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor after his incredible performance on Saturday.

Stanley, a native of Springdale, Ark. finished with a game-best 31 points on 11-for-17 (64.7 percent) shooting from the floor in Hendrix’s 89-79 win versus Austin College. The 6’7″ forward also recorded five rebounds and four assists in only 28 minutes of work. The sophomore shot 7-for-8 at the charity stripe while also tallying two steals and a block against the Roos.

Additionally, Stanley scored 20 of his game-high 31 points in the second half while also shooting 7-for-9 in the games final 20 minutes. With 4:32 to go and leading by one, Stanley scored the next 11 points for Hendrix; giving the Warriors an 85-74 lead with 55 ticks on the clock left, capped off with an incredible posturize.

Stanley and the rest of the Warriors hit the road to Marshall, Texas Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. to take on the East Texas Baptist University Tigers.

MBB: Prairie View takes down UCA in OT 78-72

Staff Report

RIVERSIDE, California — The University of Central Arkansas Bears closed out their California road trip with their second consecutive overtime loss on Saturday, losing 78-72 to Prairie View A&M as part of the 2K Empire Classic at California Baptist’s Events Center.

The Bears shot 54.5% from the field in the opening 20 minutes but fell off dramatically in the second half and overtime, dropping to 38.5% for the game.

UCA was just 8 of 30 from the field, and 2 of 12 from 3-point range, in the final 25 minutes.

UCA junior center Hayden Koval had his second consecutive big night, despite playing much of his team-high 37 minutes in foul trouble.

He recorded his first double-double of the season with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots before fouling out late in regulation.

For the two-game swing out west, Koval had 35 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and nine blocked shots and was named to the 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament team. 

Junior transfer guard Rylan Bergersen also had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Bears, who led the Panthers for nearly 35 minutes of action.

The Bears led by as much as 11 points early in the second half after a Bergersen dunk. But from there, the UCA offense sputtered and could not put together enough scoring runs to hold off the Panthers.

Prairie View, who won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title and made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, was led by Gerard Andrus, who scored 28 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

PVAMU won despite hitting just 1 of 13 from 3-point range.

UCA will now have a 10-day break before resuming with a three-game road trip, beginning Dec. 5 at Wichita State.

CBB: Musselman grabs another key commitment for 2020

Staff Report

Northside’s Jaylin Williams has made it official.

He will be sporting the Arkansas maroon and white next season.

According to HawgNation, the 6-9, 230-pound forward/center from Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside – who led his team to the state title as a junior – went public with a commitment video that was released via Instagram on Saturday afternoon, to become Eric Musselman’s third addition for the Class of 2020.

Williams chose the Hogs over co-finalist Auburn, but also held offers from Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, UCONN, Illinois, TCU and several others. The Natural State native made an unofficial visit in Fayetteville on November 5 and then returned to the Hill for another visit just four days later.

Williams officially trimmed his list to the final two schools on Nov. 14 before deciding to become a Razorback.

The four-star big gives Arkansas a trio of four-stars for this year’s class as he joins combo guard Davonte Davis of Jacksonville (Ark.) and shooting guard Moses Moody, a Little Rock (Ark.) native who currently attends Montverde Academy in Montverde (Fla.).

Next Thursday, the Razorbacks could receive even more good news when four-star guard KK Robinson makes his Thanksgiving Day announcement. The Bryant (Ark.) native who attends Oak Hill Academy in Virginia is down to Kansas and Arkansas. Seven Crystal Ball predictions have been made on Robinson thus far, and all seven have him staying at home to play with the three other Arkansas natives.

24/7 Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer had the following to say about Williams after seeing him live on July 19, 2019:

“Good frame and adequate length for a post player,” Meyer said in his evaluation notes. “Does have potential as an inside/outside scoring threat. Is a determined rebounder. Tough on the offensive and defensive boards. Runs the floor well and is an active rebounder. Good in ball screen scenarios on both ends of the court. Still very much developing as an offensive player.”

With Williams now on board, Arkansas’ class currently sits at No. 8 in the country and one spot ahead of defending national champion Virginia. Based on the 24/7 Sports Class Calculator, if Arkansas adds Robinson it will end up with a projected team score of 64.84, which would currently be good for fifth in the nation though several teams will continue to move up and down as more commitments are made. Based on the past four years, a score of 64.84 would be a safe bet to finish inside the top 15 with a decent shot at landing somewhere in the back end of the top ten.

Musselman’s current team is off to a 5-0 start after defeating South Dakota, 77-56, Friday night inside Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks will face their first road test on Monday with a trip to Georgia Tech (2-1).

Tip is set for 6 p.m. central with the game to be televised by the ACC Network.

HSBK: Vilonia Girls, Maumelle Boys secure V-Town Showdown Basketball Titles

Vilonia – Both the Maumelle Boys and the host Vilonia Girls won their respective V-Town Showdown titles after three days of basketball over the weekend in Vilonia.

Dreshaun Doyne was named the Boys’ Tournament Most Valuable Player for Maumelle as the Hornets (4-0) beat Vilonia 65-54 in the championship game.

Maumelle also beat Springdale, Morrilton and Little Rock Home School in their title run.

While, Vilonia used a strong second half defensive effort to rout Clarksville 60-32 in the girls final.

Vilonia’s Paige Kelley was named the MVP for the Eagles (6-1) who also defeated Pine Bluff and Maumelle by lopsided margins in cruising to the title.

CFB: Former Hog Storey outguns ex-teammates in Western Kentucky’s 45-19 rout of Arkansas

Saturday’s focus was on who would quarterback the University of Arkansas, but it was a former Razorback who commandeered the field.

Ty Storey, who started for the UA last year before transferring to Western Kentucky, dominated the Hogs in a 45-19 victory at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Storey, a Charleston native, finished 22-of-32 passing for 213 yards and 1 TD.

He also ran 17 times for 77 yards and 2 TDs.

His day overshadowed the Hogs’ bright spot, running back Rakeem Boyd. He had 8 carries for 185 yards, including TD runs of 76 and 86 yards. Boyd racked up more than half of the UA’s 340 yards.

Redshirt freshman John Stephen Jones started at quarterback for the Razorbacks (2-8) and guided the offense on four possessions before true freshman KJ Jefferson entered for his first drive and took the majority of the snaps thereafter.

Both struggled as the Hilltoppers (6-4) smoothly moved up and down the field.

On the game’s opening possession, Jones rolled out on third and 5 and threw an interception under pressure at the UA 42.

Twice the defense had a chance to chase the Hilltoppers from the field on fourth down, but both times Western Kentucky converted.

Storey completed a 5-yard pass to Jahcour Pearson on fourth and 4. Then, Storey scrambled for 5 yards to the UA 19 on fourth and 3.On the next play, WKU caught the Hogs on a reverse, and Jacquez Sloan ran in from 19 yards out for a 7-0 lead.

The Razorbacks responded with a 4-play, 88-yard drive that was lifted up by Boyd’s 76-yard TD run up the middle for a 7-7 tie with 8:02 left in the first quarter.

Storey went back to work, guiding the Hilltoppers on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that devoured 6:03.

The Hilltoppers converted on three third downs, but none bigger than when Storey was flushed from the pocket and threw across his body to Joshua Simon for a 22-yard gain to the UA 23 on third and 10. Storey scored on a 9-yard keeper for a 14-7 edge with 1:59 left in the first quarter.

The Hogs went three and out on their next possession, and the punt was fair caught at the WKU 41.

Again, the Hogs could not remove WKU from the field, as the Hilltoppers converted two more fourth downs, including a 7-yard pass from Storey to Lucky Jackson on fourth and 6 to the UA 25.

Storey’s second TD run, this one from 1 yard out, gave the Hilltoppers a 21-7 lead with 7:42 left in the first half.

The Hogs again went three and out, but the Hilltoppers didn’t grind out their fourth TD drive.

On the second play, Storey hit a wide-open Pearson for a 69-yard TD pass for a 28-7 lead.

Jefferson entered on UA’s fifth drive, and ran on his first two snaps for 11 combined yards.

After losing 4 yards on a run, Jefferson threw two incomplete passes and the Hogs punted.

The Hilltoppers converted their fifth fourth-down conversion in five first-half tries on a 12-play, 68-yard touchdown drive.

Storey found Jackson on a 26-yard pass to the UA 1, and WKU scored on Gaej Walker’s 1-yard run as the Hilltoppers took a 35-7 lead into halftime. Storey finished the first half 19-of-28 passing for 202 yards and 1 TD.

He also ran 11 times for 45 yards and 2 TDs.

The Hilltoppers outgained the Razorbacks in yards 317-119, led 16-3 in first downs and held the ball for 20:59 of 30 minutes.

On the first drive of the second half, the Hogs’ defense recorded its first stop of the day.

But Jones – who got the start at quarterback – failed to pick up even a yard on their opening drive.

After the Hilltoppers chewed up almost three minutes on offense which resulted in a 38-yard FG and a 38-7 Western Kentucky advantage, Jefferson returned behind center and guided the Razorbacks on what appeared to be a touchdown drive when he connected with Treylon Burks for an apparent 26-yard TD strike.

But unfortunately for the Hogs, the combo failed to connect on a crucial 4th and 16 and another important scoring threat for Arkansas fizzled.

Boyd eventually would find pay dirt once again early in the fourth quarter as he raced 86 yards for a touchdown on a second down play for Arkansas.

Connor Limpert’s extra point was blocked and the Hogs trailed 38-13 with 12:21 left.

Threatening to put a few more points on the scoreboard following a defensive stop by the Arkansas defense, a Jefferson pass intended for Burks was intercepted by Devon Key, who returned the interception 25 yards for a TD and a 45-13 Hilltoppers cushion.

The Razorbacks added a final touchdown late in the fourth quarter with Burks securing a 20-yard completion and then tailback T.J. Hammonds rambling 29 yards to Western Kentucky 2-yard line.

Jefferson would score on the next play to close out the scoring at 45-19.

Jones finished with 3-of-10 passing for 27 yards and an interceptions for the Hogs, while Jefferson was 5 of 14 for 45 yards and an interception, and rushed for 16 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown.