Blue Devils ousted by Pine Bluff in OT

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PEARCY --- As Chris Moore's last-second three-point attempt bounded off the rim at the buzzer, the West Memphis Blue Devil basketball season came to a disappointing end.

The Blue Devils suffered four overtime turnovers and it led to a 47-44 loss to Pine Bluff here Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state tournament.

Head coach Larry Bray didn't skirt the issues that plagued his team all night. The Blue Devils had 17 turnovers, including 10 in the second half. Pine Bluff had 7 miscues all night.

"This is very disappointing," said a dejected Bray. "We made some turnovers at crucial times. We can't blame anyone but ourselves."

West Memphis struggled out of the gate as Bray changed up his starting five for the state tournament. It put the Blue Devils in an early 6-0 hole four minutes into the game when the Blue Devil boss inserted regular starters Sidney Stinson, Zachary Byrd and Kelsey Hubbard.

"This was the group that we started with earlier in the year and we were successful with it, so it wasn't like it was a new group," Bray explained. "What we'd been trying to do during the year is get more players ready to play. We thought we'd have more fresher guys to finish the game."

West Memphis, which ends the season with a still dazzling 24-6 record, struggled all game to gain an offensive rhythm. Finally, with 2:0-8 left in regulation, ninth-grader Chris Moore, who led the Blue Devils with 15 points and 11 rebounds, hit a layup to give his team a two-possession lead (40-36).

But the key play of the game followed in which Pine Bluff junior Kendrick Thorn, who paced his team with 15 points, drove the lane for a basket while being fouled.

Thorn converted the three-point play and just like that the Blue Devil lead was in jeopardy.

Thorn followed that up with a steal near mid-court and hit a layup with 1:38 to play to give the Zebras a 41-40 lead.

"We were calling plays to run and it wasn't there, so we ended up forcing it," said Bray. "I've always told them if the play isn't there just to back out and reset. But we just wanted to force the issue."

Byrd split a pair of free throws with one minute left in regulation to tie the game at 43-43, which was the score at the end of regulation.

In overtime, Stinson, who pumped in 12 points, split a pair of free throws and gave the Blue Devils their last lead at 44-43.

That would be all the West Memphians would get the rest of the game.

West Memphis' fortunes took a big hit when Thorn again victimized the Blue Devils. His basket off a spin move with 27 seconds to play gave the Zebras a 45-44 lead. Then the Blue Devils misfired on the inbounds play and the Zebras stole the ball.

The Blue Devils then suffered their final turnover on the night with 7.1 seconds left.

Moore's final desperation heave from 30 feet bounded off the rim.
Hubbard added 5 points for the Blue Devils while sophomore Cavin Paige and Byrd each scored 4.