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No. 4 ranked Heber Springs takes pride in cashing in from the charity stripe. It showed on Thursday night as the Panthers made 25-of-25 free throws to seal a 62-49 victory over Cave City in the semifinals of the 2-4A District tournament at the Panther Den.
Senior point guard John Price made 20 free throws in succession, including 18-of-18 in the fourth quarter, helping the Panthers break open a tight game. Price’s 20 straight free throws broke the previous state record of 19 consecutive free throws ¬ set in 1978.
“It’s been the plan all year. Get the lead in the fourth quarter, spread it out and let John handle it,” said Heber Coach Kevin Kyzer. “The other guys do a good job of facilitating it by coming up and relieving pressure. It’s a great thing to have somebody that can shoot free throws like that late in the game. And, even when they get the ball out of his hands those other guys are pretty good free throw shooters too.”
Heber took an early lead when power forward Austin Brown recorded a putback on the Panthers’ opening possession but Cave City responded with four in a row, including a 19-foot jumper from top of the key by guard Taylor Milligan.
Brown tied it back up with a jump shot off an inbound play but Cave City center Chaz Matthews connected from the line before Price ripped a deep three-pointer from right wing.
After Matthews turned an offensive rebound into a free throw, Milligan swiped a steal, which led to a basket in the paint by Matthews, who secured a loose ball and scored. Matthews added another bucket off a lob pass as the Cavemen took a 10-7 lead before Brown answered from left block.
Heber forward Mason Schroeder then pulled down an offensive rebound with authority and scored but Matthews retaliated with a stick back, giving the Cavemen a 12-11 lead entering the second stanza.
Heber reclaimed the lead with four straight to start the second quarter as guard Judson Smith snuck into the lane for a putback and Brown sank a pair of free throws but Cave City guard Jeremy Runyan countered with a three-pointer from left wing.
With the scored knotted at 15-all, Price hit a fall away shot off a spin move but Matthews fired back with a basket from right block. Brown then caught the ball on left block, where he used a spin move to split two defenders and finished with a reverse layup, using the rim for protection against Matthews, who is listed at 6’6”.
Price followed with a pull up jumper from left elbow but Cave City guard Justin Hunter scored in transition, leaving Heber with a 21-19 lead at halftime.
Heber guard Austin Adkins provided a huge lift by nailing a three-pointer from right corner in transition off an assist from Price early in the third quarter but Matthews scored inside off an assist from forward Lane Gay.
Price extended Heber’s lead to 26-21 with a pair of free throws but the Cavemen used a 6-0 spurt to take the lead as Gay followed his own miss for a bucket, Matthews powered up for two from left block and Gay dropped a floater in traffic.
Brown ended Cave City’s run with a sweeping post move in which he hit a fall away shot while drawing a foul. After Brown completed the three-point play, Milligan popped a deep three-pointer up top, giving the Cavemen a 30-29 lead midway through the third period.
Heber responded with five in a row, starting when Schroeder hit a jump shot from the elbow. Price followed with a three-pointer from right corner off an assist from Brown, who drew a double team on the block.
With the Panthers leading 34-30, Milligan ripped a three-pointer up top and Matthews scored from right block off an assist from Hunter as the Cavemen once again jumped in front before Smith got a putback off a backside rebound that Brown alertly kept alive.
Gay made a free throw in the final minute of the third quarter for a 36-36 tie, which held up going into the fourth quarter.
Runyan snuck inside for an uncontested layup off a baseline inbound play as the Cavemen took the first lead of the fourth period but Schroeder answered with a 19-foot jumper from top of the key.
Runyan fired back with a pull up bank shot in transition before Brown used a quick spin move at left elbow to get free for a driving layup. Now tied at 40-all, Price swiped a huge steal and attacked the basket, drawing a foul.
Price made both free throws and moments later he added two more, giving Heber a 44-40 lead with 4:04 remaining. Following a Cave City timeout, Heber swingman Michael Kramer came up with a steal, which led to a pair of Price free throws.
Matthews kept Cave City in contention with a bucket from right block but with 3:00 remaining, Heber decided to made the Cavemen foul as Price displayed his dribbling skills, frustrating Cave City into committing an intentional foul.
After Price made both foul shots, Brown scored off a sideline inbound lob from Price as the Panthers’ lead grew to 50-42 before Runyan hit a short pull up shot from left baseline.
Another intentional foul allowed Price four more free throws and following a defensive stop Price added two more from the line, boosting Heber’s lead to 56-44 with 1:27 left to play.
In the final minute, Smith made two from the stripe then Price hit four more to set a state record of 20 consecutive free throws in a single game without a miss. Meanwhile, Gay popped a three-pointer from left elbow and Matthews notched a stick back, which set the final at 62-49.
Matthews led Cave City with 20 points, Runyan followed with 11 and Milligan tallied eight.
Price scored a game-high 30 points and handed out seven assists for Heber, Brown added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Schroeder finished with six.
No. 4 ranked Heber Springs takes pride in cashing in from the charity stripe. It showed on Thursday night as the Panthers made 25-of-25 free throws to seal a 62-49 victory over Cave City in the semifinals of the 2-4A District tournament at the Panther Den.
Senior point guard John Price made 20 free throws in succession, including 18-of-18 in the fourth quarter, helping the Panthers break open a tight game. Price’s 20 straight free throws broke the previous state record of 19 consecutive free throws ¬ set in 1978.
“It’s been the plan all year. Get the lead in the fourth quarter, spread it out and let John handle it,” said Heber Coach Kevin Kyzer. “The other guys do a good job of facilitating it by coming up and relieving pressure. It’s a great thing to have somebody that can shoot free throws like that late in the game. And, even when they get the ball out of his hands those other guys are pretty good free throw shooters too.”
Heber took an early lead when power forward Austin Brown recorded a putback on the Panthers’ opening possession but Cave City responded with four in a row, including a 19-foot jumper from top of the key by guard Taylor Milligan.
Brown tied it back up with a jump shot off an inbound play but Cave City center Chaz Matthews connected from the line before Price ripped a deep three-pointer from right wing.
After Matthews turned an offensive rebound into a free throw, Milligan swiped a steal, which led to a basket in the paint by Matthews, who secured a loose ball and scored. Matthews added another bucket off a lob pass as the Cavemen took a 10-7 lead before Brown answered from left block.
Heber forward Mason Schroeder then pulled down an offensive rebound with authority and scored but Matthews retaliated with a stick back, giving the Cavemen a 12-11 lead entering the second stanza.
Heber reclaimed the lead with four straight to start the second quarter as guard Judson Smith snuck into the lane for a putback and Brown sank a pair of free throws but Cave City guard Jeremy Runyan countered with a three-pointer from left wing.
With the scored knotted at 15-all, Price hit a fall away shot off a spin move but Matthews fired back with a basket from right block. Brown then caught the ball on left block, where he used a spin move to split two defenders and finished with a reverse layup, using the rim for protection against Matthews, who is listed at 6’6”.
Price followed with a pull up jumper from left elbow but Cave City guard Justin Hunter scored in transition, leaving Heber with a 21-19 lead at halftime.
Heber guard Austin Adkins provided a huge lift by nailing a three-pointer from right corner in transition off an assist from Price early in the third quarter but Matthews scored inside off an assist from forward Lane Gay.
Price extended Heber’s lead to 26-21 with a pair of free throws but the Cavemen used a 6-0 spurt to take the lead as Gay followed his own miss for a bucket, Matthews powered up for two from left block and Gay dropped a floater in traffic.
Brown ended Cave City’s run with a sweeping post move in which he hit a fall away shot while drawing a foul. After Brown completed the three-point play, Milligan popped a deep three-pointer up top, giving the Cavemen a 30-29 lead midway through the third period.
Heber responded with five in a row, starting when Schroeder hit a jump shot from the elbow. Price followed with a three-pointer from right corner off an assist from Brown, who drew a double team on the block.
With the Panthers leading 34-30, Milligan ripped a three-pointer up top and Matthews scored from right block off an assist from Hunter as the Cavemen once again jumped in front before Smith got a putback off a backside rebound that Brown alertly kept alive.
Gay made a free throw in the final minute of the third quarter for a 36-36 tie, which held up going into the fourth quarter.
Runyan snuck inside for an uncontested layup off a baseline inbound play as the Cavemen took the first lead of the fourth period but Schroeder answered with a 19-foot jumper from top of the key.
Runyan fired back with a pull up bank shot in transition before Brown used a quick spin move at left elbow to get free for a driving layup. Now tied at 40-all, Price swiped a huge steal and attacked the basket, drawing a foul.
Price made both free throws and moments later he added two more, giving Heber a 44-40 lead with 4:04 remaining. Following a Cave City timeout, Heber swingman Michael Kramer came up with a steal, which led to a pair of Price free throws.
Matthews kept Cave City in contention with a bucket from right block but with 3:00 remaining, Heber decided to made the Cavemen foul as Price displayed his dribbling skills, frustrating Cave City into committing an intentional foul.
After Price made both foul shots, Brown scored off a sideline inbound lob from Price as the Panthers’ lead grew to 50-42 before Runyan hit a short pull up shot from left baseline.
Another intentional foul allowed Price four more free throws and following a defensive stop Price added two more from the line, boosting Heber’s lead to 56-44 with 1:27 left to play.
In the final minute, Smith made two from the stripe then Price hit four more to set a state record of 20 consecutive free throws in a single game without a miss. Meanwhile, Gay popped a three-pointer from left elbow and Matthews notched a stick back, which set the final at 62-49.
Matthews led Cave City with 20 points, Runyan followed with 11 and Milligan tallied eight.
Price scored a game-high 30 points and handed out seven assists for Heber, Brown added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Schroeder finished with six.
