Heber Springs exchanged blows with Marianna-Lee for three and a half periods before pulling away for a 47-40 victory on Friday night in 2-4A Conference play at the Panther Den.
Marianna took a quick 4-0 lead as LaDarrius Hunt scored in the paint and Alfred Thomas slashed trough the right side for a layup but Ethan Bly stripped a steal underneath the basket and scored before Thomas got a putback after a steal by Kevin Braxton.
Trailing by four, Heber jumped in front when Clint Ligon got a stick back on a fast break and Michael Kramer drove the left side and finished, plus the foul. Kramer completed the 3-point play but Thomas countered with a 3-pointer from left wing before Bly scored on a driving layup in transition.
Hunt fired back with a short jumper from right baseline before Ligon turned an offensive rebound into a free throw and Judson Smith slashed through the Jr. Trojan defense for a bucket. With Heber leading by one, Thomas used a crossover dribble to shake his defender and finished with a reverse layup, giving the Jr. Trojans a 13-12 lead going into the second quarter.
After scoring nine points in the first quarter, Thomas picked up where he left off early in the second by driving the baseline for a tough bucket but Heber shut him down the remainder of the period while outscoring the Jr. Trojans 9-5 in the final three minutes.
Kramer hit Ligon for a bucket from left block to get Heber started then Smith made 3-of-4 free throws, including two off a steal by Kramer. Smith shook his defender and finished in heavy traffic and Micah Dew added a free throw before Braxton got a stick back.
With Heber leading 20-17, Marquis Cooper picked a steal and nailed a 3-pointer up top but Bly converted an offensive rebound into a free throw, giving the Jr. Panthers a 21-20 lead at halftime.
Marianna reclaimed the lead early in the third quarter after Braxton got a putback but Smith made a pair of free throws while Kramer also netted two from the line, extending Heber’s lead to three before Everett Perkins popped a 3-pointer from right wing.
Knotted at 25-all, Ligon sank a fall away bank shot and Smith drove the right side and finished with a gliding bank before Jimmy Lewis knocked down a 16-foot jumper from right wing off an assist from Chris Corluek, leaving the Jr. Panthers ahead 29-27 entering the fourth quarter.
Lewis slashed through the middle of the lane for a layup as Marianna quickly tied it back up in the fourth quarter but Bly grabbed an offensive rebound and scored before Thomas turned an offensive rebound into a pair of free throws.
Still tied, Kramer cut down the left side of the lane and finished with a scoop shot and Smith made a free throw but Perkins drove left side and hit a double-clutch layup before Smith answered with a floater, keeping Heber’s lead at three.
After Kramer hit a free throw, Thomas weaved through the Jr. Panther defense for a layup but Marianna had to foul and picked the wrong two as Kramer and Smith each made a pair of foul shots, giving Heber a 41-35 lead with 1:24 remaining.
The Jr. Trojans pulled back within three when Cooper drained a 3-pointer from right corner but Smith pushed it back to a two possession game with a free throw and the Jr. Panthers got a critical stop on the defensive end.
With the game nearly over, Marianna was whistled for an intentional foul that Kramer turned into a free throw but Thomas made another smooth drive for two before Smith slammed the door with two free throws, giving Heber a 45-40 advantage. Ligon pulled down a defensive rebound and made two more from the stripe, setting the final at 47-40.
Thomas led Marianna with a game-high 17 points and Cooper followed with six. Smith paced Heber with 15 points and Kramer added 11 while Ligon tallied nine and Bly had seven.
