Freshman shooting guard Nathan Hoover hit 17 fourth-period points but the Panthers couldn’t overcome a horrible third quarter in falling to Arlington 72-67 Friday night.
The Panthers, losers of their second district contest in a row, couldn’t find a stop when they needed it and Arlington hit 10-14 from the free throw line to seal the win.
Hoover, held to a single basket in the second and third quarter combined, worked off a series of back screens to light up from beyond the arch late in the final eight minutes.
Arlington’s Rhyan Townes gave the Tigers a 13-point lead midway in the fourth on an exclamation point dunk before Hoover caught fire.
Running from the backline with multiple set screens Hoover hit a rare four-point play to cut a 62-44 cushion to 14.
Arlington’s KJ Bates answered with a bucket before Hoover traded three for two with a second bomb from 22 feet. The freshman sandwiched an Eric Waddell traditional three-point play with another bomb and Bartlett was suddenly down five.
An Eric McGill drive to the hoop after Arlington connected on one of two from the stripe made it 66-62 but Bates hit a pair from the line and Adarius Avery added two more to hold off the Panther charge.
It was a basket for basket game from the start as Arlington’s Avery set the tone. The 6’3” sophomore hit for nine in the first quarter, including the Tiger’s first six while Demarius Cason, Deangelo Hall and Waddell matched bucket for bucket.
As has been their M.O., the Panthers couldn’t keep up in the second. Hailstock and Avery hit the first seven for a 22-13 lead with the Panthers finally getting on the board 140 seconds in with Waddell hit a bunny but Bartlett trailed 31-24 at the break.
Neither team could muster much in a frantic third. McGill and Bates traded treys and Avery asserted himself with seven of the team’s 14 as the Tigers led 47-39 going into the last.
Hoover led all scorers with 26 while Eric Waddell added 17. Eric McGill hit for seven, Cason bruised for six, Ryan Miller had five, AJ Jones four and Hall hit a pair in the loss.
Adarius Avery led the Tigers with 22 while Rhyan Townes added 18 for Arlington.
Arlington 60 Bartlett 49
A tight first half broke open in the third as Arlington imposed their size against a smaller but game Panther team in girl’s district basketball action.
“I thought we played well as a team,” longtime Bartlett basketball coach Lynn Whitfield said of her undersized squad. “We gave so much effort and we didn’t quit. We looked for the open person and we played well together.”
Playing a team of primarily underclassmen, Bartlett used the trio of Shuntavia Scruggs, Kelsey Baker and Shuntavia Rodgers to make it a game at the end. Down 40-24 going into the final period, Rodgers hit back to back buckets off defensive stops to pull within nine 53-44 with 2:40 remaining.
It was an eight point deficit seconds later before Arlington powered inside again.
The Lady Tigers used 6’2” junior Chyna Ellis and 5’10” freshman Raylin Starks to go over the top and Bartlett had no inside answer.
Rodgers led a balanced Bartlett attack with 16 while Scruggs and Baker added 12 and 11 respectively. Stella Gill and Shelby Organ added seven and three in the loss.
Ellis’ 18 led Arlington while Starks chipped in 14 and Tori Sewell hit for 10 for the tall and talented Tigers.
Bailey Brewer and Chyeinne Norton had seven apiece while Jessica Jackson and Maya Brown had three and one respectively.
