As the final seconds ticked off the clock Friday afternoon in Harrison, North Arkansas College freshman guard Na’Kylan Starks swooped in to end Southeast Arkansas College’s inaugural season.
The SEARK men’s basketball team lost 75-74 to NorthArk in the semifinals of the NJCAA Region 2 Division II tournament at Pioneer Pavilion.
No. 4 seed SEARK (20-9) led 74-73 in the waning moments of the game when NorthArk freshman Jaxon Berry shot a 3-pointer looking for the lead. Starks sprinted from outside the 3-point arc toward the rim as the ball left Berry’s hands.
The Sharks boxed out two potential Pioneer rebounders but didn’t see Starks coming. He snagged the rebound and drew a foul, allowing him to shoot two game-winning free throws with 1.4 seconds remaining. A heave from beyond midcourt by SEARK sophomore Tobias Prall bounced off the backboard as time expired.
SEARK had led since sophomore Derek Magwood drove the lane and scored a layup with 2:34 remaining, making it 68-67 at the time.
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Magwood led the Sharks with 17 points, followed by Prall with 15. Jalen Brown and Torrey Caswell scored 11 each.
Berry led No. 1 seed NorthArk (24-8) with 15 points, followed by freshman Izaak Porter with 13.
The Pioneers, who won the regular season Region 2 championship with a 13-3 record, will face No. 7 seed Southern Arkansas University Tech in the tournament championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday after SAU Tech eliminated No. 2 seed ASU Mid-South and No. 6 seed ASU Newport in the first two rounds.
WOMEN: UA Cossatot 84, SEARK 66 (ThuRSDAY)
The SEARK women wrapped up their debut season with a first-round loss to Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas.
No. 4 seed UA Cossatot (12-12) sophomore Alexandria Jefferson scored 36 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead the Lady Colts. She outscored the Lady Sharks 12-8 by herself in the first quarter, after which Cossatot led 29-8. The Lady Colts scored 22 more points in the second quarter and held a commanding 51-27 halftime lead.
No. 5 seed SEARK (11-11) freshman Amethyst Price led the Lady Sharks with 17 points. Za’Nyah LeFear scored 14, and K’Myri Johnson finished with 12.
Given SEARK’s entire roster consisted of freshmen, the Lady Sharks should return a highly experienced roster next season.