Wildcats fall in WBU tournament opener

Trumann (0-2) let an eight point halftime lead slip away as Maynard outscored the Wildcats 28-13 in the second half to take a 52-45 win in the opening game of the Williams Baptist University high school tournament last Monday (Nov. 27) in Walnut Ridge.

Maynard got the scoring started with a basket inside before Cobey Riddle hit triple twine for the Wildcats to make it 3-2 Trumann just over a minute into the game. The Tigers canned a three-ball as Riddle scored inside to tie the game at five. Maynard canned another trey, Riddle hit one of two free throw as the Tigers were good on two free throws making it 10-6 Tigers with 3:12 left. Riddle netted another three-ball only to see Maynard score the next six points to go up 16-9 before Coda Cameron drilled a three-ball with seven seconds left to make it 16-12 Tigers after one.

Riddle canned a trey to open the second quarter as Gavin Greenwell hit a jumper in the lane to give the Wildcats a 17-16 lead early in the second quarter. Maynard scored inside to retake the lead only to see Greenwell make a three-pointer and Riddle connect on two free throws making the score 22-18 Trumann with 5:36 left. The Tigers cut it 22-21 with a three-ball before the Wildcats scored the next 10 points as Riddle hit a jumper in the lane. Luke Bishop stuck back an offensive rebound. Braxton Cook converted an old-school three-point play and Riddle hit a three-pointer to make it 32-21 Wildcats. Maynard hit a three-ball with two seconds left to make the score 32-24 Trumann at the half.

Trumann's Gavin Greenwell takes a shot over a Maynard defender during the WBU high school basketball tournament in Walnut Ridge. (Photo by Cosmo Cossey)

The Tigers opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run to take a 35-32 lead before Jalen Elrod scored down low making it 35-34 Tigers with 2:57 left. Maynard went coast to coast for a layup to push their lead to 37-34 as the Wildcats got a trey from Cameron and a jumper in the lane from Bishop to make it 39-37 at the end of three quarters.

Maynard canned a three-ball early in the fourth quarter to go up 40-39 before Elrod hit one of two free throws and connected on a three-pointer from the right wing to make it 43-40 Trumann with just over six minutes left. The Tigers reeled off the next 12 points to take a 52-43 lead as Cook scored in the paint late to set the final score at 52-45 Maynard.

Riddle led Trumann with 16 points as Cameron finished with nine points. Elrod added six points with Greenwell and Cook both scoring five points each for the Wildcats.