Patriots wrangle Rams with tough defense

Patriots wrangle Rams with tough defense

By Tyler Bennett

Marion School District Both Patriot basketball teams helped make their road to the playoffs a little easier with a Tuesday night sweep of the Paragould Rams.

The defenses of both squads played what might be their best games of the season. The boys halted any potential Paragould runs in the second half, while the Lady Pats used their defense to erase a 12-point deficit in a single quarter.

The defense of the Patriot boys (13-3 overall, 6-0 5A Conference) once again proved how effective their defense can be against teams, like Paragould (611,0-6), who like to shoot a lot of three pointers.

Specifically, senior forward Tristan Hayman was praised by head coach David Clark after Tuesday’s game for his play on the defensive end of the court.

“(Tristan) makes all of the small plays,” said Clark. “He rebounds, takes charges, and plays great defense.”

Despite the 28 point win, Coach Clark still had some teachable moments to talk to his guys about after the game. Clark said his main concern was the amount of offense that his team should have produced.

“We didn’t control the tempo on offense. We played at their tempo and didn’t pressure their defense as well as we could have,” said Clark. “My ultimate goal is to win the state title this year, but if we want to do that, we all have to have the same vision and take the season one game at a time.”

The Patriots came out of the gate strong against the Rams, taking a 14-5 lead into the second quarter. Marion was able to take a 29-13 lead into the locker rooms at halftime despite leading scorer Detrick Reeves sitting for most of the first quarter and the entire second quarter because of foul trouble.

“We’ve got a deeper bench than most people would expect,” said Clark. “I trust all of my guys to play their role in any game or situation.

They know what we expect from them.”

The Rams scored 15 points in the third quarter, making three three-pointers, but momentum stayed in Marion’s corner. The Pats held serve by scoring 17 points of their own in the quarter with a potent attack in the paint.

Marion would not let the Rams have any breathing room in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 20-10 on their way to a 66-38 final score. The win keeps the Patriots undefeated in 5A East conference play and 11-0 against teams from Arkansas.

The Lady Patriots (119,3-3) snapped their two game losing streak with the win over the Lady Rams (13-6, 3-3). More importantly, the Lady Pats tied the Lady Rams for third place in the 5A East. Only the top four teams in each division will make the playoffs.

Marion swapped leads with the Lady Rams in the first quarter, but Paragould began to pull away in the second quarter. The Rams led by as many as 12 in the first half, but it could have been worse if not for a lot of point blank misses by the Rams forced by the Lady Patriot defense.

The Lady Pats made Paragould regret the missed opportunities in the third quarter, forcing even more bad shots and turnovers from the Lady Rams. The defense combined with Marion’s transition offense helped the Lady Pats complete a 15 point swing and lead the Rams by 3 heading into the final frame.

Both teams would trade baskets in the fourth, but the Lady Pats always had an answer to a Paragould score. Tashlee Milow made some clutch free throws to take a four point lead with 7 seconds left, but the Rams would not answer.

The 49-44 final score put the Lady Pats right back into the playoff picture.

The Patriots will be back at Patriot Arena this evening to take on the Jonesboro Golden Hurricane. The Jonesboro boys (14-5,5-1) are in second place in the 5A East behind Marion and have won the last 12 meetings between the schools. The Lady Hurricanes (13-6,4-2) will be trying to rebound after a loss to first-place Nettleton on Tuesday. Tip off from Patriot Arena is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Detrick Reeves gets air with a slam dunk. The Patriots remain undefeated in conference play. Joi Montgomery shoots a three pointer. The Lady Pats kept their postseason hopes alive with a comeback win against Paragould.

Photos by Tyler Bennett