Chicks punch ticket to state tournament

BATESVILLE — The Blytheville Chickasaws (16-11) narrowly defeated the Paragould Rams, 48-45, Monday in the first round of the 5A-East District Tournament, locking up a spot in the Class 5A State Tournament.

The Rams jumped out to 5-0 start before Chickasaws guard Curtis Smith gave the Chicks their first lead, 8-7, with 2:20 left in the first with a three-pointer.

The Chickasaws led 20-19 heading into the half.

The Chickasaws led 34-29 after the third quarter. The Chicks led 44-40 with 37.5 seconds left in the game.

BHS senior center Jaureous Haynes increased the Chickasaw led to eight after knocking down two free throws with 21.2 seconds left.

The Rams hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to set the final margin.

Chickasaw senior Winston Peace led the Chicks with 22 points.

"I think the main thing, we kept our poise. I think obviously winning four games in a row, winning four close ones. I think those three going into tonight closing out close ballgames gave us confidence down the stretch. Wasn't perfect. We tried to make it interesting, but it wasn't perfect. We stepped up and made some big free throws down the stretch. Curtis Smith, sophomore off the bench, ran a triangle-and-two, came out and got us going and then finished it for us with some really nice passing and good ball-handling. Then pretty much everything in between was Winston Peace's night," said Chickasaws head coach McKenzie Pierce. "All around great effort against a great club. Obviously, they junked it up a lot, one-three- one and a triangle-and-two, there at the end. Really started to slow the pace. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong early. We know we wanted to score first and apply the pressure. I think the first two trips down we missed point-blank layups right at the rim and they came down and hit a two and a three and went up five to nothing, right from the start. Then the second half we were up one and it started off about the same way."

The Chicks will face the winner of Valley View and Forrest City on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

"This time of the year, whoever you're playing it's going to be at least the third time seeing them. So there are no secrets. Everybody is familiar with each other. So you're going to have close ballgames. So it's good to be on the side of closing them out this time of the year," Pierce said. "Two good ball clubs. They play [Tuesday night] at 8:30. So obviously Valley View, you've got to get ready for the big kid and the shooters on the perimeter. For Forrest City, you have got to get ready for the pressure and getting up and down. So two different kinds of team. It'll be kind of interesting to see which contrast style will come out. But like I said this time of the year there are no secrets, and we aren't going to surprise anybody with anything. And they aren't going to surprise us with anything, you just got to show up and play.”

The Lady Chickasaws' (5-20) season came to an end after falling, 48-31, to the two-seeded GCT Lady Eagles Monday.

The Lady Chickasaws trailed 33-13 at the half.

With 5:40 left in the game Lady Chickasaw guard Terrika Dillard hit the ground hard after taking a charge and went out with a concussion.