HARRISON BOYS MOVE TO SECOND ROUND

PRAIRIE GROVE — When in postseason, it is win or go home. Monday night in the first round of the 4A-1 District Tournament, the Harrison Goblins did what they needed to do to move to the second round. Harrison defeated Gentry, 65-51, to move to the second round of the tournament where they faced the home team, Prairie Grove, on Tuesday night. The Goblins used an early run to take control of the game and then another big run in the second half to put the contest on ice. Never trailing in the contest, the Goblins got out to a 3-0 lead on a Logan Plumlee 3-pointer from the corner. The Pioneers scored a minute later then Harrison ended the first period on a 16-3 run over the last 4:47 of the frame. Ethan Edwards started the run that was followed by another shot from Plumlee. Gabe Huskey found the range from outside and an Edwards three-point play gave the Goblins a double-digit lead that they didn’t lose until the second half. After a free throw by the Pioneers, Gatlin James finished the first period scoring with back-to-back three pointers to push the Goblins ahead, 19-5, after the first period. Harrison had an 18-point advantage in the second after another Huskey trey. Bryce Bonds then hit another 3-pointer for Harrison and followed that with a backdoor layup after Edwards hit him with a pass from the right wing. The Goblins doubled up Gentry, 34-17. Harrison had opened another 18-point lead at 38-20 after a Plumlee trey and an Edwards free throw. Then Gentry took advantage of Harrison’s stalled offense. Scoring the next 11 points, the Pioneers had cut the Harrison lead to 38-31 with 2:04 left in the third period. James drove the baseline for Harrison and kicked the ball out to Edward who hit a trey to break the big Gentry run. Gentry scored with 1:21 left in the third period before Harrison went on a 16-0 streak to put the game away. Plumlee started the run with a minute left in the third period. He drained a bucket before Edwards completed a three-point play. That made the score 46-33 after three periods. The fourth period began with six free throws in a row. Timber Crenwelge, Edwards and Ben Elliott each nailed two apiece. Edward scored his seventh point during the stretch before Elliott ended the run with a step-back trey. If Harrison won its Tuesday night contest, the team will play on Wednesday night against Huntsville. Leading Harrison in scoring was Edwards with 26 points. Plumlee added 10, Elliott nine, Huskey and James six each, Bonds five and Crenwelge three. Harrison connected on 12-of-14 free throw attempts in the fourth period. The Goblins are now 11-17 overall. The win broke a five-game losing streak that started after Harrison and Gentry met last. Gentry ended the season with a 13-14 record after starting the year with a 13-1 mark.

HARRISON BOYS MOVE TO SECOND ROUND

JEFF BRASEL

Harrison Daily Times | 2/19/2020

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Brasel