Indians advance to play for state title

By COSMO COSSEY

Poinsett County

Democrat Tribune

Dony Childs of Marked Tree glides to the basket during state tournament action this past Saturday. (Photo by Cosmo Cossey)

Marked Tree (29-3) used a big fourth quarter to break open a close game on their way to a 56-44 win over Brinkley in the Class 2A state tournament semi-finals in Ozark. The win advances the Indians to the state title game where they will face 44-0 County Line on March 10 at 7:45 p.m. in Hot Springs.

The Indians jumped out a 6-0 lead as Cameron Marshall scored inside, Dony Childs hit one-of-two free throws and Kenyon Carter hit triple twine from the top of the key. The Tigers got on the board with a stick back only to see Jonah Walker get a stick back to make it 8-2 Marked Tree with 5:12 left. Brinkley scored in the paint, Walker got another stick back before the Tigers hit two free throws making the score 10-6 Indians. Childs hit one-of-two free throws before Brinkley scored seven straight points making it 13-11 Tigers with 1:49 left. Walker put back an offensive rebound and Childs got a steal and lay up as Brinkley got a basket inside to make it 15-15. Landon Lewis and Marshall scored back-to-back baskets in the last half minute to give Marked Tree a 19-15 lead after one.

Brinkley opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run, with Childs hitting two free throws for the Indians, to give the Tigers a 25-21 lead with 4:08 left. Childs hit a jumper and Brinkley answered with a jumper in the lane to make it 27-23 Tigers before Marked Tree got two free throws from Martavious Davis, one-of-two free throws from Lewis and a three-ball from Carter to give the Indians a 29-27 lead.

The Tigers hit two free throws and added a jumper to take a 31-29 lead into halftime.

Marked Tree scored the first seven points of the third quarter as Marshall drilled a three-ball from the left corner, Childs got inside for a basket and Carter hit one-of-two free throws to make it 35-31 Indians.

Brinkley hit a jumper, Childs scored inside as the Tigers got a steal and lay up to make the score 37-35 Marked Tree with 3:10 left. Walker and Marshall scored consecutive baskets to push the Indians' lead to 41-35, before Brinkley got a steal and lay up to make it 41-37. Walker hit one-of-two free throws as the Tigers canned a three-ball at the buzzer making it 42-40 Marked Tree at the end of three quarters of play.

The Indians got an old-school three-point play from Lewis early in the fourth quarter to make it 45-40 before Brinkley hit one-of-two free throws to make the score 45-41 Marked Tree.

Back-to-back baskets from Walker and Childs pushed the lead to 49-41 as the Tigers would score their last points of the night on a three-pointer with 3:20 left making it 49-44 Indians. Marked Tree added a basket inside from Lewis and a fast break lay up and a three-pointer from Carter to set the final score at 56-44 Indians.

“Oh my gosh, defense,” were the first words Marked Tree head coach Barbara Wilburn said after the game. “I think our defense was okay in the first half but I think that fourth quarter defense was what defined us. We turned it up a little bit as our game plan was to keep them away from the basket,” Wilburn added.

Wilburn said the last couple games the team played were big. “We played some teams in the regional like none we've seen all year and I think that helped prepare for this run in the state tournament,” Wilburn said.

Childs led three Indians in double figures with 14 points as Carter and Walker finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Marshall added nine points, Lewis netted eight points and Davis chipped in two points for Marked Tree.