Chicks punch ticket to state tournament

JONESBORO — The Blytheville Chickasaws’ last two weeks have been a struggle after losing their regular season finale on the road to Brookland and then falling in the first round of their districts to Brookland last week at Southside Batesville.

However, the Chicks had no problems Thursday night in the first round of the regional tournament as they knocked off the Pulaski Academy Bruins 50-46 to advance to the semifinals of the regional tournament and punched their ticket to the state tournament next week in Farmington, Ark.

"Proud of our guys," said Chicks head coach McKenzie Pierce. "It was a long —I don't know — 14-17 day stretch there where you don't go with a win, even if it was only two games that we lost. It kind of gets you down in the dumps when you go two-and-a-half weeks without winning a basketball game. The last day or two these guys have just stepped up. This senior group stepped up; just looking around you could tell they really stepped up and weren't going to let us end our season."

The Bruins jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the Chicks as both of the Chickasaws points were taken away due to charge calls in a contest where seven charges were called in total. Blytheville would get on the board at 5:56 mark as guard Tyreonn King connected on a floater.

Blytheville trailed the Bruins 14-11 after the first quarter that went back and forth.

The Chickasaws, however, picked up speed in the second quarter as they outscored the Bruins 13-9 to lead 24-23 at the half.

Out of the half the Chicks kept on as they lead by double digits for much of the third quarter and forced Bruins head coach Roger Franks to call multiple timeouts within minutes as his team made runs but the Chicks regained the double digit lead.

Blytheville led 39-31 heading into the final quarter.

BHS quickly regained a 10-point lead to start the quarter, but the Bruins didn't go down without a fight as they were within six points several times throughout the fourth quarter.

The Bruins’ three-point threat Logan Miller fouled out with 42.3 remaining and put senior guard Teddy Washington on the line where he connected on both from the charity stripe giving the Chicks a 50-41 lead. The Bruins hit a three with 20.1 remaining and then a layup with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game to cut the Chicks lead to four; however, the Chickasaws escaped with a 50-46 victory.

Pierce stated Washington put the team on his back as he led the way for the Chicks with 16 points, with 12 points coming in the second half.

Sophomore Brian Jones added 11 points and Johnny Anderson chipped in nine points in the victory for the Chickasaws.

"They played great. Tedrick put the team on his back," Pierce explained. "You could just tell he wasn't going to let us lose that game. He definitely led our team in rebounding."

The Chicks played the E-Stem Mets Friday night in the semi-finals matchup. With a victory the Chicks would play the winner of Mills and Brookland in the regional finals Saturday night at 7:30.

A loss for the Chickasaws would have them playing the loser of Mills/ Brookland in the third/fourth place game Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Results were unavailable at press time.