CRA boys defeat Marked Tree Indians

JONESBORO – The Marked Tree boys bid to win the 1A-3 basketball tournament at Ridgefield Christian School came up short Saturday as Crowley’s Ridge Academy defeated the Indians 57-42 in the tournament semifinal. Talon McMillan powered the Falcons victory with a 10-point performance. Doss Clayton and Hayden Austin accounted for nine points each for CRA.

Marked Tree competed closely and even controlled much of the contest thanks to Jakaymion Williams and Jonah Walker scoring nine points apiece. But the Indians went ice cold in the second half, allowing Crowley’s Ridge Academy to come from behind and get the win.

The Indians got off to a hot start, as they scored 15 points in the first quarter to run out to an early 15-10 lead. During the quarter, DJ Stacy delivered from three-point range twice. Walker tallied five points, including a three-point play when he received a pass in the post and took it into the teeth of the defense.

Marked Tree only got hotter from deep in the second quarter. They buried four shots from behind the arc during the period, as Williams and Kenyon Carter both drained a pair. The hot streak could have grown their lead, if not for Crowley’s Ridge exceeding their tally. Reece Napier and Luke Austin found the net on a pair of threes each, before Sutton Campbell beat the halftime buzzer from the corner. Campbell's bucket left Marked Tree holding a 33-31 lead heading to the second half.

The Indians scored a bucket inside and a free throw as the third quarter began, but those marked their only points of the period. Held to just three points, Marked Tree found themselves down 43-36 heading to the final period.

The offensive drought would continue to haunt the Indians in the final quarter. They struggled to finish at the rim and couldn’t get anything to fall from outside. Joshua Rand checked back in and scored twice despite being fouled on both attempts. He ended the night with six points. Despite Rand's offense, Marked Tree managed just six points in the final quarter and the Falcons advanced to Monday's championship game.

Marked Tree coach Barbara Wilburn spoke on her team’s inopportune cold streak, feeling the slump was self-inflicted. “I don’t think we scored 10 points in the second half,” she began, “We just didn’t execute. It was nothing they did that caused our offense to go stagnant, but it was our failure to get the ball to the right spots on time.”