BIC wins junior high Jennings title with late basket

After scoring 26 points in the first half, BIC (15-0) only mustered three points in the second half with a game winning three-pointer with eight seconds left to beat Trumann and win the junior high division of the Gerald Jennings Tournament this past Saturday in Marked Tree.

The BIC Junior High Mustangs are the 2024 Gerald Jennings Tournament champions with a win over Trumann this past Saturday in Marked Tree.Cosmo Cossey photos

The Junior Mustangs jumped out to a 7-0 lead as Wicker Craig canned a three-ball, Noah Ibanez scored in the paint, and Rylan Hawkins hit two of three free throws after getting fouled attempting a three-pointer with 4:12 left. Andrew Nelson got the Junior Wildcats on the board hitting one of two free throws to make it 7-1 Junior Mustangs. Gatlyn Hawkins scored down low for BIC, Gabe Williams scored in the paint for Trumann, Gatlyn Hawkins hit triple twine for BIC before Williams canned a three-pointer for the Junior Wildcats to make the score 12-6 Junior Mustangs. Ibanez scored back to back baskets for the Junior Mustangs in the last minute to push BIC’s lead to 16-6 after one.

Craig drilled a three-pointer for BIC to make it 19-6 early in the second quarter only to see the Junior Wildcats get a steal and layup from Tyreke McCullough and back to back three-pointers from Isaiah Jones to cut the lead to 19-16 Junior Mustangs with 2:40 left. BIC closed out the half with a 7-0 run as Ibanez drained a three-pointers as Ty Sipes scored in the paint and got a stick back basket to make the score 26-16 at halftime.

The third quarter only produced six points and all were by Trumann as Nelson hit a jumper with 5:43 left before McCullough scored in the paint with 3:24 left and again in the paint with three minutes left to make the score 26-22 at the end of three quarters.

Trumann’s Tyreke McCullough goes in for two with a BIC player close behind during tournament action this past Saturday.Cosmo Cossey photos

McCullough hit one of two free throws, got a steal and layup and again hit one of two free throws in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 26 with 3:35 left. Neither team would score over the next three minutes and 27 seconds until Craig canned a three-pointer with eight seconds left to send BIC to a 29-26 win and the championship trophy.

“We came out and shot the ball extremely well. They (Trumann) changed their defense and gave us fit but we kept hitting shots,” BIC head coach Taylor Layne said after the game. “The second half those shots didn’t fall and we struggled to score. It was a defensive struggle as neither team shot well in the second half,” Layne added.

The Trumann Junior High Wildcats finished as runners-up in the 2024 Gerald Jennings Tournament this past Saturday. Cosmo Cossey photos

Craig and Ibanez scored nine points each to lead BIC as Gatlyn Hawkins netted five points, Sipes finished with four points as Rylan Hawkins chipped in two points for the Junior Mustangs.

“I thought the team battled hard and I’m proud of how they persevered. We made some adjustments and came back to tie the game and had a shot or two to go ahead before BIC made that big shot at the end. They (BIC) is a very good team,” Trumann head Justin Ward said.

Williams scored nine points to lead the Junior Wildcats as McCullough and Jones finished with six points each. Nelson added five points for Trumann.