The third time was not the charm for Watson Chapel.
Magnolia beat Chapel 63-48 for the 4A South Region championship Saturday, the third time this season the Panthers (22-0) had the upper hand on the Wildcats (13-9). Magnolia beat Chapel 72-48 on Feb. 26 for the District 4A-8 championship.
“That [district] championship game, our kids had never played in that environment,” Wildcats Coach Marcus Adams said. “We played with a little more confidence this game.”
Sophomore Khamani Cooper scored 27 points to help a Wildcats team that was otherwise struggling from the floor keep the region final more competitive.
“We didn’t make shots that we normally make,” Adams said. “The second quarter came down to foul trouble. We had some of our key players on the bench. We’ve got to do a better job of playing without fouling.”
Christopher Fountain had nine points for the Wildcats, who earned a first-round bye in the 4A state tournament at Morrilton High School and await the winner of Wednesday’s Blytheville vs. Dardanelle game. The second-round game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.