Trojan depth and size ruled out the Panthers in a nail-biter Tuesday night at Trojan Fieldhouse as Hot Springs eked out a 50-49 win over Benton.
Both teams were neck-and-neck in the final period, but sophomore Jadyn Walker put up a shot for two at the three-minute mark to put the Trojans (22-4, 10-2 5A-South) ahead, 46-41.
Walker wasted no time as he grabbed a steal and set up senior Eddie Miles for a slam dunk. Sawyer Oulch responded with a shot from behind the arc with 38 seconds remaining to trim the gap to pull Benton (13-10, 6-6) within 48-47.
"The steal by Caleb Campbell right before he fouled out and the steal by Eddie Miles to seal the game at the end were two defensive plays that definitely stood out," said Hot Springs boys' head coach Antoni Lasker. "It's always good to end a game with a stop and we did that twice."
Miles sank two shots from the free throw line solidifying the Trojan's lead. The Panthers managed to hit one more from the field, but it wasn't enough to close the gap.
"Defensively and offensively, I'm very pleased with the way we came out," said Lasker. "We tend to get a little impatient when teams run zone against us and try to force some things, but the guys were very patient today. We looked for one another, which anytime we're looking to create opportunities for our teammates, we usually have a lot of success."
Three minutes into the opening period, sophomore Caleb Campbell buried two from behind the three-point line, sparking a 8-2 run for Hot Springs. Junior Draylen Sledge added a layup to give the Trojans the 10-6 lead going into the second frame.
Benton's Grant Shelnut hit one for three early in the quarter, and Carl Ross added a quick layup. Campbell and junior Latrell Ellis sank two from the field to push Hot Springs ahead, 17-12, at the break.
"We've been hounding these guys to look for each other and to play team basketball," Lasker said.
The Trojans put up 14 points in the third quarter giving them a seven-point lead over the Panthers going into the final eight minutes.
Campbell paced the Trojans with a game-leading 10 points with a rebound and an assist. Miles added nine with two assists and two steals, Walker put up seven with four boards, three assists and a steal and Sanders had six points with five rebounds, a block and an assist. Santiair Thomas had five points, and Trent Gordon and Sledge added two each to round out the scoring for the Trojans.
The Trojans will travel to Sheridan (15-9, 5-7) Friday, where the Yellowjackets are a needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Trojans sit second in the 5A-South with just two conference losses to conference leader Lake Hamilton (21-2, 12-0).
"Going into the next game at Sheridan, we know it's a hostile environment. Those fans take pride in their team. They played us really tough and very close here so we're looking forward to the opportunity."
Sports on 02/14/2019