EPC earns trip to finals in Hot Springs

NEWARK - EPC upset hosts Cedar Ridge and earned a trip to Hot Springs, after they defeated the Timberwolves in a 71-70 thriller at Reaves Arena on Saturday night.

The Warriors had their backs against the wall as they needed a score with just 32 seconds left at the end of a frenetic fourth quarter. The Warriors once again displayed their strength in numbers with 4 players finishing in double-figure scoring. Jacob Gaines led with 22 points, Tyrus Reel poured in 19 points, Ashton Reel posted 15 points, and Quincy Perry chipped in 10 points. This well-rounded attack spoiled a monstrous 33-point performance from guard Kyle Provence. Post player Rylan Brown brought in the bulk of Cedar Ridge’s scoring outside of Provence’s big night and finished with 23 points. Lawson Bruce reached double digits with 10 points in the loss.

EPC worked into a couple of multiple-possession leads in the first quarter, but Cedar Ridge met each scoring surge with one of their own. Ashton and Doug Reel turned in a physical first quarter, banging down low and holding Cedar Ridge’s dominant inside in check, as Brown scored just 4 points in the first period. Ashton Reel’s tenacity on the low block helped him score 8 points, and the Warriors were winning the battle for points in the paint. They took a 12-6 lead, but the Timberwolves’ 12-4 scoring run behind a pair of 3-pt shots from Bruce to end the quarter gave them a 20-18 lead, despite EPC holding Cedar Ridge’s biggest scoring threats to 4 points each.

The second quarter was just as close. Reel’s fearlessness against the 6’5 Brown in the post persisted. He hop-stepped into contact and finished strong plus the foul. Brown came right back down and converted a 3-pt play after scoring over Doug Reel. This back-and-forth start to the quarter would continue as both teams traded baskets. EPC narrowly outscored Cedar Ridge 18-16 in the second period. Gaines scored 7 of those points with Ashton Reel responsible for 5 of the 18. Provence and Brown scored all of the T-Wolves’ points in the quarter with 8 apiece. The teams were knotted 34-34 at halftime.

Tyrus Reel drove down the lane and scored to open the quarter, and Doug Reel got on the board with a shot under the basket. Gaines converted a 3-pt play and made it 41-36, giving EPC their biggest lead since the first quarter. Cedar Ridge came right back with their own run, as Provence, Brown, and Barber each scored in the paint to give the Timberwolves a 44-43 lead halfway through the third quarter. With the game razor-close, Gaines showed urgency. He relentlessly pushed the ball into the lane and went up through strong defense possession after possession. Going the other way, Provence began catching heat from deep and dribbled into back-to-back 3s from the top of the key. Cedar Ridge had the last shot of the quarter, and Brown’s shot over Doug Reel gave the hosts a 54-53 lead going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter featured a back-court duel between Provence and Tyrus Reel, who each provided their team with double figures when it mattered. Reel got the visiting fans involved with back-to-back layups, but Provence’s 3 to tie it up silenced them. Cedar Ridge took a 1-point lead with 2 minutes left after Provence converted a 3-pt play. Tyrus Reel drove by his man and drew a blocking foul, converting both free throws to put EPC ahead 69-68 with 45 seconds left. Provence put the pressure back on EPC when he scored inside 13 seconds later. EPC called a timeout with a dire possession ahead and 32 seconds to get a shot. They worked it around to Gaines off a screen who drove into the lane and floated it in with 10 seconds to go. Provence couldn’t get his 15-footer to fall, and Gaines secured the rebound and dribbled away with the win as time expired.

EPC Coach JeMarcus Thaxton made sure his guys stayed together when facing adversity in what he expected to be a tough contest. “We talked about all of that before the game. We knew it would be a dogfight and a possession-by-possession game. The message was to get back to the basics: rebounding, free throws, and team defense. We had to work together. You can’t throw a punch with one finger sticking out. You need all 5 to be together. We did a great job of weathering the storm in a great game against a great Cedar Ridge Team.”