By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter Wolves boys basketball team played Friday and Saturday in the 2017 LRCA Warrior Classic. The Wolves (5-4) played the host team, the Little Rock Christian Academy Warriors in Saturday’s finale and went down in defeat by a score of 75-55. The first and third periods were close, but the Warriors outscored Lighthouse by a total of 15 points in the other two quarters to set the margin of victory.
The Wolves had lost Fridays contest 64-50 to the eStem Mets. Devonte Davis had 26 points to lead Jacksonville Lighthouse in that game.
“Today, we played very well,” Lighthouse coach Kelvin Parker said Saturday.
“Yesterday, I was a little disappointed, but we came out and played a lot better team ball. In the beginning, we were fighting an uphill battle, you know, playing a 5A school, when we’re a 2A school. But, that’s what I brought us over here for. That’s to get that experience, to play tougher teams, to get us ready for conference play. That’s what nonconference is all about, getting us ready for conference and regionals and state. We came out, and we fought, and we weren’t scared at all.”
Lighthouse took an early 4-0 lead on baskets by Jason Bobo and Eric Miles. After a score by the Warriors, Miles added a free throw for the 5-2 advantage, but that was the last lead the Wolves would see. Little Rock Christian began sinking 3-point baskets, one by Justice Hill and three for Will Strickland, and took a 16-6 advantage. Bobo answered with two threes, one to close out the first frame at 18-14.
Davis brought Lighthouse to within two to start quarter number two, but the Warriors responded with seven points. Davis scored again, this time a 3-pointer, but Luke Grawer hit threes on three consecutive trips down the floor for LRCA to set the score at 39-27 at the halftime break.
The third period saw both teams at the free throw line frequently as fouls were abundant. The Wolves went to the stripe 11 times and sank eight, while Christian was 4 of 7. Cortez Finley led the Warriors in points for the quarter with nine, while Davis had 12 for Jacksonville Lighthouse, half of those from the line. LRCA only scored one more point than the Wolves in the frame, and the score at the end of three was 58-45.
The Warriors scored the first eight points in the final frame. Lighthouse did not score until 3:12 remained on the game clock. Davis had six more points, and Bobo a two under the basket. Little Rock Christian also scored the final four points to set the final at 75-55.
Davis again led Lighthouse in scoring with 23 points. Grawer led the Warriors with 19.
The Wolves were 18 of 24 from the free throw stripe, while LRCA was only 12 of 25.
The Warriors won the rebounding battle by three, and Jacksonville Lighthouse had eight turnovers to seven for Little Rock Christian. One turnover by the Wolves, however, was on an inbounds pass and resulted directly in a 3-point bucket by Hill.
Jacksonville Lighthouse will play Thursday through Saturday in the Hurricane Classic in Jonesboro.
