East-leading Mustangs gallop past Chicks

The Forrest City Mustangs brought their perfect 5A-East conference record to Chickasaw Gym Friday night and showed why they are the team to beat this season.

Leading by eight points after one period, the Mustangs outscored the Chicks, 23-13, in the second period and took control of the game on their way to a convincing, 65-47 win.

"They (Forrest City) were on a mission," said Blytheville head coach David Hixson. "They feel that they probably should have won it (5A-East title) last year. We beat them here last year and that was probably the one that cost them. So, yeah, they came in here with some intensity."

Forrest City (11-7, 7-0 5A-East) led 16-8 heading into the second period. Michael Bell knocked down a three-pointer for the Chicks with just under seven to play in the half to cut the Mustang lead to 17-11.

Over the next three minutes, Forrest City scored 10 points and turned Blytheville (10-10, 2-4 5A-East) turnovers into easy baskets on four consecutive Chickasaw possessions. Six-foot-7 sophomore center Trey Thompson's, basket with 4:08 left in the half put the Mustangs up, 27-11, and Blytheville barely challenged the rest of the game.

"They (Blytheville) had to rely on their perimeter game," said Forrest City head coach Dwight Lofton. "We played a zone most of the night. We knew they were quicker than we were so we wanted to force them to take a lot of jumpers and fortunately for us, tonight, they missed some of them."

Blytheville turned the ball over 18 times in the first half. While the high number is obviously troubling to Coach Hixson, it was the way that they turned the ball over that was even more disturbing.

"What was so disappointing was that 10 or 12 of them were unforced," he said. "Where we either can't catch a ball or just simply may have made a pass to somebody that was guarded. It was mind-boggling for us to watch from the bench. We gave them too many possessions."

Mustang guard Mekiyel Harris made the most of two consecutive possessions in that run in the second period. Back-to-back steals from the senior guard led to two consecutive breakaway lay ups with 15 seconds of one another.

Harris posted his fourth steal of the period, which led to his 10th point of the half with 35 seconds left in the first half putting Forrest City up, 35-17. Harris scored 14 points and swiped seven steals on the night and was one of three Forrest City players in double figures. Thompson scored 15, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots and senior small forward, Jordan Chatter led with a game high 17 points.

Thompson scored the first seven points of the game for the Mustangs as they jumped out to an early, 7-2 lead three minutes into the game.

Blytheville found some offensive rhythm midway through the third. Down, 41-26, with 4:36 left in the third, the Chicks ran off five in a row while Thompson and Chatters were on the bench with foul trouble cutting the lead to 10.

Ke'Andre Diamond answered Harris' back-to-back first half steals with a couple of his own leading two easy lay ups 20 seconds apart to drop the Forrest City lead to 41-31.

As they did most of the night, the Mustangs had an answer scoring the final seven points of the period. Martin Clanton came off the bench and converted a three-point play with one second left on the clock to put the Mustangs up, 48-31, heading into the fourth.

"We had some unusual combinations out there (in the third period)," said Lofton. "I'm very proud of the way our bench kind of held things together."

Chatters' three-point play with six to play pushed the Mustangs lead to 51-33 before the Chicks ran off five in a row again. Raymond Golphin knocked down a three- pointer followed by a steal from Bell that led to a break away layup and brought Blytheville to within 13 at 51-38 with four and a half to play. But BHS would get no closer.

"I told them at halftime that we just have to regroup and come out and compete," said Hixson. "I thought we did that a little more in the second half, a lot better. Had we done that in the first half, we might have had a ball game."

Blytheville did receive some good news Friday night. Center Greg McKillion returned to action for the first time in two weeks since injuring his ankle at Beebe. While he wasn't much of a factor on offense, he did make his presence known.

"He picked up four or five charges tonight," said Hixson. "That's four or five more than we've had since he's been out. He's a tough kid and we're going to need him down the stretch."

Forrest City continues to roll through the 5A-East.

"We have to continue to take them one at a time," said Lofton. "We've got tough one with Batesville coming up. They've been playing well and we've got Greene County Tech next Friday. So, it's still too close to call. One loss and you're in trouble."

With a trip to Greene County Tech coming up on Tuesday, the Chicks have to regroup having lost three out four including two in a row at home.

"It's weird for us. We don't play very well at home," said Hixson. "We play better on the road. I don't know if it's because our kids get jacked up or nervous our what. We do things at home that we don't typically do as much on the road."

Tuesday night's action begins with a boys "B" game at 5 p.m.

GIRLS

Forrest City 58, Blytheville 54

Mary Burks connected on seven of nine free throw attempts in the fourth period as the Forrest City Lady Mustangs stole a four-point win over the Lady Chickasaws, 58-54, Friday night.

Forrest City (3-14, 2-4 5A-East) led 18-15 after the first period, 32-26 at halftime with the game all knotted up at 41-41 heading into the fourth.

In a game that saw neither team lead by more than six points, the fourth period was the tightest. There were eight lead changes and five ties in the final eight minutes of the game.

With the game tied at 51-51 at the 3:03 mark in the fourth, Burks connected on two free throw attempts which sparked a 6-0 mini-run by the Lady Mustangs. That was enough to pull away from the Lady Chicks and pull out the victory.

Burks led the Lady Mustangs with 14 points and Nikima Chatters added 11.

For Blytheville (4-12, 2-4 5A-East) , Alicia Stone was one of three Lady Chicks in double figures. Stone led all scorers with 22 points while Iesha Humphrey and Taylor Woodruff each scored 12 points.

afitzpatrick@couriernews.net