Cedarville completes second big comeback in two days to advance to Region 3A-4 finals; Elikns holds off Paris

Cedarville found itself in a double-digit hole but found its way to a win once again.
Cedarville completes second big comeback in two days to advance to Region 3A-4 finals; Elikns holds off Paris
Cedarville completes second big comeback in two days to advance to Region 3A-4 finals; Elikns holds off Paris /

Story and Photo by Glenn Parrish/Booneville Communications Director

For the second time in two days Cedarville found themselves in a double-digit hole. For the second time the Pirates, the top seeded team from the 3A-4, crawled out of it.

After closing with a 23-0 run to beat West Fork in the Class 3A Region 1 opener, the Pirates’ victim Sunday was Conference 3A-4 regular season champion Waldron, who was handed a 49-46 loss.

After overcoming a technical foul and a late basket by Cedarville’s Darryl Kattich, Waldron built a 40-29 lead on 3's by Ethan Mayberry and Lidge Stinson and a basket by Jayden McConnell on a dime from Mayberry.

There was 4:56 to play at that point and the Bulldogs missed a chance to do further damage at the free throw line with 4:14 to play.

By the 2:36 mark it was a two-point game.

A Kattich basket cut into the lead with 3:54 to go and a pair of Hayden Morton free throws – he scored 14 – with 3:31 left had the Pirates down 40-33. Kattich hit a 3 with to make it 40-36 and when Lane Hightower scored with 2:36 it was 40-38.

Waldron missed a one-and-one chance but would get a conventional three point play from McConnell to go back up by five.

It was at that point there was a clock malfunction that would be settled with Kattich in the midst of the three point play that made it 43-41.

Camdon Holcomb gave the Bulldogs some breathing room with a basket but Kattich took the game over drawing two fouls and hitting four straight free throws to push the Pirates in front 47-45.

That gave Kattich, who was a star running back for the Pirates, 12 in the quarter as he finished with a game-high 16. 

Two free throws by Hightower – giving him 12 points – when Waldron was forced to foul made it 49-45 but even the drama was long from over.

Stinson was fouled with :01 to go and missed the first of three free throws, but made the second to make it 49-46.

A purposeful miss on the final attempt resulted in a Bulldog rebound and desperation heave that was off the mark.

That miss included Waldron was 11-of-19 at the stripe, compared to 12-of-13 for the Pirates.

With McConnell hitting three 3s in the opening quarter, Waldron had not trailed until 35.9 seconds remained. McConnell finished with a game-high 14 for the Bulldogs.

Stinson was also in double figures for Waldron with 11. Hayden Morton was a third Pirate in double figures with 13.

Elkins 49,  Paris 41

Starting with a two-hand slam, three times over the final 1:10 of the game, Aiden Underdown gave the Elkins a three score lead and the Elks held off Paris 49-41 in the Class 3A Region 1 semifinals.

It was 42-37 when the Elks worked the ball in to Underdown for the dunk with 1:10 left and, with the bonus free throw the lead was eight, 45-37.

Mequeil Ellinberg hit a pair of free throws for Paris before Underdown had one more free throw with 39.4 seconds to go.

Underdown’s two free throws with 15.8 ticks left made it 49-41 and after a missed 3, Paris, the regular season 5-seed but district tournament runner-up from the 3A-4, allowed time to expire without more free throws.

Underdown scored 23 and Braaedon Welch added 14 for Elkins, the top seed from the 3A-1 advances to Monday’s finals against Cedarville.

Jude Simmons scored 14 and Ellinberg added 10 for Paris.


Published
Nate Olson, SBLive Sports
NATE OLSON, SBLIVE SPORTS

Nate Olson is a Regional Editor for SBLive Sports, covering Arkansas, Iowa and Nebraska.