Marked Tree defeats Blevins to return to state title game

Marked Tree (28-6) held Blevins to eight points in the third quarter to turn a one point deficit at halftime into a 22 point lead after three quarters on their way to an 80-61 win that will send the Indians to Hot Springs for the third straight year to play for the Class 1A state title on Saturday, March 15 at 7:45 p.m. Marked Tree beat Nevada 66-43 for the title last year.

Ken Carter gave Marked Tree the early 2-0 lead with two free throws and Blevins scored inside to make it 2-2. D.J. Stacy hit a jumper for the Indians to make it 4-2 Marked Tree before the Hornets hit a jumper making it 4-4. Stacy drilled a three-pointer before Jonah Walker converted an old-school three-point play to push the Indian’s lead to 10-4 with 5:34 left. Blevins hit one of two free throws, Landon Lewis scored in the paint for Marked Tree and the Hornets made two free throws making it 12-7. JayKamion Williams stuck back an offensive rebound, Blevins scored down low before Lewis hit one of two free throws. Stacy then hit triple twine to make the score 18-9 Indians. The Hornets hit two free throws, Lewis connected on a baseline jumper and hit one of two free throws making it 21-11 Indians. The Hornets scored down low and hit two free throws before Josh Rand hit one of two free throws making it 22-15 Marked Tree at the end of one quarter of play.

Lewis pushed the Marked Tree lead to 25-15 with a three-pointer early in the second quarter before Blevins scored back to back baskets making it 25-19 Indians. Lewis canned another three-pointer and the Hornets hit one of two free throws, then nailed a three-pointer making the score 28-23 Marked Tree. Lewis scored inside and Rand stuck back a rebound to make it 32-23 Marked Tree before Blevins scored the next nine points to tie the game at 32-32 with 2:19 left. Lewis hit one of two free throws before getting a steal and layup and Blevins scored a basket inside to make the halftime score 35-34 Indians.

Stacy hit two free throws to open the third quarter scoring, Blevins hit a jumper and Lewis hit one of two free throws to make it 38-36 Indians early in the quarter. Stacy hit two technical free throws, a three-pointer, two more technical free throws and two free throws after being fouled to push the Marked Tree lead 45-36 with 5:15 left. The Indians got back to back baskets in the paint from Williams and Lewis before the Hornets canned a three-ball making it 51-39 Indians. Lewis hit two free throws, Blevins connected on a three-pointer before Marked Tree got a jumper from Dawon Smith and two free throws from Carter making it 57-42 Indians. Smith hit one of two free throws, Walker hit two free throws, Williams got a steal and layup and Carter hit a runner in the lane making it 64-42 Indians at the end of three quarters.

Walker hit one of two free throws and Carter scored inside as Marked Tree pushed their lead to 67-42 early in the fourth quarter. The Hornets hit a three-pointer, Rand scored inside before Blevins hit a jumper making it 67-47. Walker hit one of two free throws and Carter scored down low before the Hornets hit a jumper in the lane and hit three free throws after being fouled while attempting a three-pointer making the score 72-52 Indians with 4:29 left. Marked Tree got a basket inside from Walker and a stick back from Isaiah Malone before Blevins hit back to back three-pointers to make it 76-58 Indians. T.J. Hodges scored inside, the Hornets canned a three-pointer before Hodges stuck back a rebound making the final score 80-61 Marked Tree.

“I think the third quarter was the difference for us today as we went to a box and one on defense and that gave them (Blevins) trouble,” Marked Tree head coach Barbara Wilburn said after the game. “They cut the led from 12 to 2 and I’m proud of the team for getting their composure and going back at it,” Wilburn added.

Lewis led three players in double figures with 20 points while Stacy and Carter finished with 19 and 12 points respectively. Walker netted nine points, Williams tossed in six points, Rand had five points, Hodges scored four points, Smith had three points and Malone chipped in two points for the Indians.