HARRISON JOINS ELITE EIGHT

MORRILTON — In the previous two basketball games, the Harrison Lady Goblins had a large lead in the fourth period.
Harrison lost both games, but for the Lady Goblins the third time was a charm.
In the Class 4A State Basketball Tournament on Tuesday morning in Morrilton, the Lady Goblins produced a solid fourth period and joined four other teams in the quarterfinals. Harrison defeated Brookland, 49-41.
Class 4A only has three regions so 12 teams make the state tournament. Four teams receive opening round byes. The Lady Goblins will be facing Star City, who is one of the teams that received a bye after winning the Class 4A South Region.
In the final minute of the game, the Lady Goblins kept Brookland at bay from the free throw line. Harrison was sitting on a 42-38 lead when Sydney Shrum was sent to the foul line with 58.6 showing on the clock. She calmly sank both free throws to put Harrison up six.
Just seven seconds later, Brookland canned a trey to make it a one-possession contest.
Mariah Hudson was the next victim in the Lady Bearcats fouling scheme. She hit both tosses to make it a five-point affair.
Brookland missed on its next attempt and Harrison secured the rebound. Moving the ball to halfcourt, the Lady Goblins called timeout.
Running a set out-of-bounds play, Clare Barger found herself wide open for a layup that moved Harrison up by seven.
Maggie Salmon stole the ball from the Lady Bearcats and she was fouled with 6.1 showing. Salmon set the final score for the Harrison win.
There were eight lead changes and four ties in the first half.
After Brookland took a 2-0 lead, Harrison's Alex Hill drained a trey from the right wing to prove the first lead change of the contest.
Brookland then moved out to a 7-3 lead before Barger hit a baseline jumper for Harrison. Salmon drained her first trey to tie the game at 8-8, before Hill hit two free throws to forge a 10-10 score.
Hudson tied the game for the third time in the first quarter at 12 with a bucket.
Madison Bell hit a free throw for the Lady Goblins to make it a 15-13 contest.
Opening the second period, Shaylee Ward scored after taking a Hudson pass to tie the game at 15.
Hill then pushed through three points with a free throw and then later a steal and a layup to give Harrison an 18-17 lead.
A Brookland 3-pointer was matched by Salmon to give the Lady Goblins their last lead of the first half at 21-20.
Brookland moved ahead, 25-21, but Salmon hit her third trey of the contest to set the score at 25-24 heading into the first half break.
Harrison took the lead in the third period with a small 8-0 run.
Hudson hit three free throws after being fouled. Hill had a steal and a layup and Shrum took a Salmon pass and buried a trey with 3:34.
The Lady Goblins led 34-31 with one period left to play.
Brookland got within a point of Harrison at 39-38 before Hill scored inside to make it a 41-38 game.
Neither team scored on its next possession. After the Harrison miss, Brookland rebounded the basketball, but Shrum forced a jump ball. The possession arrow belonged to Harrison.
The Lady Bearcats then fouled Shrum to send her to the line where she made it a two-possession game.
Harrison will be back in action on Thursday at 10 a.m. opposite Star City.
Leading Harrison in scoring was Hill with 17 points. Salmon added 10, Hudson seven, Shrum and Barger six each, Ward two and Bell one.