MAGNOLIA — Van Buren Christian turned back Ridgway Christian after trailing by seven points Friday in a boys quarterfinal game of the Arkansas Association of Christian School state basketball tournament.
Van Buren Christian came away with a 45-41 victory and advanced to that evening’s semifinal round. Ridgway, the No. 2 seed from the South Region, finished the season 14-7.
It was a strong start otherwise for the Pine Bluff-based team, which led 20-13 at halftime. But VBC charged back in the third quarter and took a 29-27 lead into the fourth.
Larry Tate scored 15 points, Demetrius McCullough had 10 and Tim Aulds added six for Ridgway. The school’s hopes for a state championship aren’t completely washed away, as the Eagles will take on Southwest Christian in the junior high boys state final at 1:10 p.m. today.
GIRLS
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Southwest Christian 48, Ridgway Christian 44
MAGNOLIA — The Lady Eagles won’t make it to a second straight state championship game, after Little Rock’s Southwest Christian knocked them out of the AACS quarterfinals.
Ridgway (18-3) was within a point in the final 3 minutes, only for Southwest to pull away. Dyimond Anderson led the Lady Eagles with 15 points, followed by Hailey Wilkins with 11 and Madison Heflin with seven.
Ridgway led 12-6 after one quarter, but Southwest came back to tie it at 19 at halftime and take a 29-22 lead after the third period.