HELENA-WEST HELENA — Everything was going Monticello’s way until the fourth quarter.
Once ahead by 13 points in a must-win game, the Billies led until the fourth quarter but took Helena-West Helena Central into overtime and came away with 63-56 boys basketball victory Tuesday night in the 5A-Southeast Conference’s de facto fourth-place game.
The win gave Monticello (15-11, 7-7 in 5A-Southeast) the last ticket from the conference to next week’s 5A state tournament at Greene County Tech in Paragould, while Central’s season ended at 10-10 and 6-8. Monticello will play the 5A-East champion at 8:30 p.m. next Tuesday.
“You get a little disappointed when you lose a lead like that,” Monticello coach Wayne Sherrer said. “We decided to put that behind us, and (we) played well in pressure situations.”
The Billies opened overtime with a three-point play and did not look back from there. Torry Butler led them with 18 points, and Devin Jackson followed with 17.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
With Watson Chapel’s loss to Little Rock Mills on Tuesday, Monticello actually tied Watson Chapel for third, but the Wildcats held the tiebreaker because of a larger margin of victory in head-to-head competition against the Billies.
White Hall 64,
North Pulaski 53
JACKSONVILLE — The Bulldogs (3-19, 3-11 in 5A-Southeast) finished their season on a positive note behind Jeremy Sprinkle’s 20 points and Nathan Lee’s 13 in the seniors’ last high school game.
Percy Arnold added 12 for White Hall, which tied North Pulaski (4-22, 3-11) for seventh in the conference.
GIRLS
Monticello 76,
Helena-W.H. Central 28
HELENA-WEST HELENA — The Lady Billies finished 5A-Southeast Conference play undefeated with a 76-28 victory over the Lady Cougars on Tuesday. Monticello will take the No. 1 seed into the 5A state tournament at Greene County Tech, where it will play the fourth-place team in the 5A-East at 1 p.m. next Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Chelsey Rhodes scored 15 points, Erin Campbell 14 and Sadie Lewis 10 to lead the Lady Billies (25-2, 14-0 in 5A-Southeast). Shadashia Baker of Helena-West Helena Central led all scorers with 17 points.
The Lady Cougars finished the season 2-17 and 1-13.
White Hall 58,
North Pulaski 28
JACKSONVILLE — White Hall wrapped up third place in the 5A-Southeast on Friday, so Tuesday’s game was a warm-up for its first-round game in the state tournament.
Patience Walker had 18 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs (15-7, 10-4 in 5A-Southeast). She was followed by Courtney Fisher with eight and Haley Baugh and Lindsey Williams with six apiece.
White Hall led 44-9 at halftime. North Pulaski (1-17, 1-13) scored half of its points in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Bulldogs will play the No. 3 team in the 5A-East at 7 p.m. next Wednesday at Greene County Tech.