JESSIEVILLE -- Booneville passes the eye test immediately in boys' basketball with 12 players listed at 6 feet or taller.
The Bearcats (19-1,9-0 3A-4) passed a class test Friday night, holding Braxton Shifflett to a quiet 21 points and escaping Jessieville Sports Arena with a 50-47 victory over the host Lions (15-6, 6-3).
After filling the school's trophy case in football last year, the Bearcats have the look of a state champion in a second sport. Booneville has nine straight victories in conference and 18 overall since a November road loss to Mena (15-5, 6-1 4A-7). For fans who cheered a December state champion at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium, it's Hot Springs or bust regarding a March visit to Bank OZK Arena for the Class 3A final.
Coach Ronnie Denton hesitated to name a most valuable player -- "It depends on which night you see us" -- but his squad should have a height advantage over most teams. Blakely Cobb, a 6-5 senior, made a clutch free throw with 7.3 seconds left, his team-high 14th point forcing Jessieville to attempt a tying three.
Shifflett, stymied for most of the game, dribbled across halfcourt and called timeout with 3.0 seconds left. With little time to be choosy, sophomore Jarrett Davis watched his shot from top of the key hit the back iron.
"I thought we got a good look to have only three seconds," said Jessieville coach Jared White, whose team was weakened inside when senior Chase Pedersen took a hard spill early and did not return until the third quarter.
Shifflett, coming off a 34-point game against Fountain Lake (17-4, 7-2), did not make his first 3-point basket until the Lions trailed, 31-20. But when he got the juices flowing, the senior swingman almost helped Jessieville pull out an improbable victory.
Shifflett scored on a baseline drive, then hit a three from the wing that Davis matched from the baseline. Jessieville missed a chance to shoot for the lead or a tie after Shifflett's reverse layup made it 41-39. Another hard drive by Shifflett went for a three-point play and senior Tyler Holloway, auditioning for the hero's role, made two free throws and a deep trey from the wing, leaving it 49-47 with 7.6 seconds showing.
Booneville. as one would expect of a one-loss team in January, made some clutch free throws although, missing five of 12 in the fourth quarter, "it almost got us in trouble," Denton said. Senior Nate Riley made two for a 49-44 lead with 14.3 seconds left before Cobb's miss-good trip to the line set up the closing sequence.
Cobb had three treys, one making it 44-38 before a 10-second call in backcourt made the last 2:05 exceedingly tense for the visitors, though Denton could say, "I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty."
The Bearcats began the season before the school's football team completed its 3A championship run. Senior Noah Reyes, the only player Denton added, had 13 points against Jessieville, which lost the teams' first meeting, 61-59, on Dec. 18.
Booneville hoped its physicality would take a toll on Shifflett, who can play on the low block but is a genuine terror from 3-point range. "We just do what we do," Denton said. "We held him in check for most of the game, but once he gets rolling he can make a big difference."
Holloway finished with 12 points, Davis eight and sophomore Landen Daley six for Jessieville, which matches up well with most teams it plays, but not against Booneville.
"We'll see how far we can go," Denton said. "It's just nice to be in that conversation about teams that can win the state tournament."
Jessieville will be at home on Tuesday against Perryville (12-7, 6-3) and Friday against Lamar (9-12, 2-7).
Sports on 01/21/2019