Magnolia turned in a solid defensive effort and used a barrage of 3-pointers in the second period to claim it’s second 4A-8 District Championship.
“I can’t be more proud of the way these guys played. Our defensive effort was amazing,” Magnolia head coach Ben Lindsey said following the 69-48 victory over the Watson Chapel Wildcats.
The Panthers (19-0) are unbeaten for the second consecutive year heading in to regional action. They will look to defend their regional crown starting Wednesday at Star City.
Magnolia will be the No. 1-seed, followed by Watson Chapel (second), Monticello (third) and Camden Fairview (fourth). The 4A-8 will be matched up against the 4A-7 District, with the Panther squaring off against the Nashville Scrappers.
Other regional representatives from that league will be Arkadelphia, Fountain Lake and Hope.
The Panthers and Scrappers will play at 7 p.m. Wednesday. A victory will have them in a 7 o’clock Friday night contest, with the title game set for 7 p.m. Saturday.
Against Watson Chapel on Friday, the Wildcats led 3-2 early but an 8-0 spurt helped the Panthers hold a 10-5 lead after the first period.
The spurt was sparked by Derrian Ford’s monster one-handed slam. He led all scorers with 22 points and had Magnolia’s first eight points of the game.
“For a high school dunk, that was amazing,” said Lindsey, agreeing that it brought the crowd to its feet. “It’s funny how every time we need No. 20, he’s there. That was a momentum-changing play.
“He’s not only a great player, but he plays in the moment. The better the opponent, the better he plays.”
Magnolia built a 10-point advantage, 19-9, on a 3-point by Ford at the 5:28 mark in the second. Jaquan Scott added a pair of 3-pointers off the bench and Adrien Walker had two long-range jumpers (one at the buzzer) as the Panthers led 31-18 at halftime.
“Watson Chapel is a lot bigger than we are and at times were more physical. But our defensive intensity was something else. The little guys we have on the floor are like knats You can’t get rid of them and they’re so quick,” said Lindsey. “Also, I feel like our attention to details was great tonight.”
In the second half, Watson Chapel managed to close the gap to eight, 33-25, but the Panthers pulled away and led 50-33 after the third break.
They stretched the lead to 23 midway through the final quarter and settled for the 20-point victory.
Lindsey said Watson Chapel’s 6-7 Antwon Emsweller came out on a mission.
“On the way we guarded him, we made some adjustments from the first time,” said Lindsey. Emsweller, along with Keshun Brown led the Wildcats in scoring with 13 points apiece. Khamani Cooper added 12.
Following Ford’s 22 points, Colby Garland had16 and Walker finished with 12.
Lindsey said he appreciated the vocal fans who showed up and sjupported the team.
He said his players fed off their cheers. He also thanked fans who follow Magnolia basketball on Panthers TV.
The coach stated he was giving his players the weekend off before starting today preparing for the regional tournament.
“We hope to play several games this week,” he said.
The top four teams from regional will advance to next week’s Class 4A State Tournament at Morrilton.