Lakeside senior Sawyer Lamb hit a game-winning 3-pointer on Wednesday to give the Rams a road win for his father's 500th win at the senior high level.
The Rams are 2-5 in Eddie Lamb's second year as the school's head senior high boys' basketball coach. He previously coached at Jessieville and has 26 years of coaching experience in Garland County.
Lakeside competed in three games this week in the Tony Chachere's Classic tournament at Farmington. Games were originally scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but the tournament was moved forward by a day due to the inclement weather that moved into the state during the weekend.
The Rams were among a number of teams in the area to visit Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville to observe a practice session with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Players from Hot Springs also watched the Razorbacks during a break from their games in the Fayetteville Bulldog Classic.
Lakeside opened the tournament at Cardinals Arena with a 51-50 victory over Huntsville (6-3) after Sawyer Lamb hit a 3-point shot with only seconds remaining on the clock. It was win No. 500 for his father at the senior high level and 957th overall.
"I did not realize that until the game was over," said coach Lamb. "My wife had texted the boys and their parents, 'That was coach Lamb's 500th.'
"It was special because of Sawyer hitting that shot for us. When I coach him, I don't even think of him as my son, but when it is all over, I think, 'That is pretty cool.'"
His son hit another key 3-pointer on Thursday at the end of regulation. The Rams trailed Cedarville (5-6), 41-32, to start the fourth quarter, but the 3-point shot sent the game into overtime with the teams tied 53-53.
The game moved into a second overtime with the score tied, 59-59. Lakeside led by four points in each of the overtime periods, but the Pirates scored the final six points of the game to take the 65-63 victory.
The Rams earned a place in the championship game on points against the host Cardinals (6-3). Farmington won the final game, 52-41.
"We really played well," Lamb said. "The score did not indicate how close it was."
The score was tied, 21-21, at halftime with six different Rams putting points on the scoreboard. Lamb said it was a two-point game late in the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals were able to pull away by making free throws.
"Road wins are so tough in our league and I wanted to go somewhere like that where we would be on the road and learn how to win a game or two," Lamb said. "The Huntsville game was big for us because we could have easily lost that game, but we could have easily won the second game and the third game.
"They were battles every night."
Lakeside is scheduled for a road game on Tuesday at Prescott. The Curley Wolves opened their season on Friday after the football team advanced to the Class 3A state semifinals, losing to eventual state champion Booneville (15-0), 34-31.
The Rams are not scheduled to play again until after the Christmas holiday. Their 5A-South conference schedule will start on Jan. 4 at El Dorado (3-4).
Sports on 12/09/2018