By JASON KING
Leader sportswriterPoints off turnovers and a heroic last-second shot by Beebe senior guard Devonte Young lifted the Badgers to a 49-47 victory over the Greene Co. Tech Golden Eagles at Badger Sports Arena on Saturday.
Payton Snodgrass completed the Eagles’ comeback with 22 seconds left when he hit a three-point basket that tied the game at 47, giving the Badgers plenty of time to set up a final shot to avoid overtime.
Young, who has college interest from Harding University, the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and Missouri Southern, stepped inside the left wing and elevated with 2.2 seconds left and hit all net, sending the home crowd into hysterics.
“It was a good win to get against a very respected ball club,” Beebe coach Ryan Marshall said. “They’ve had tradition for quite a while. We talk about trying to win at home — I definitely feel we outplayed them the last three quarters. I’m just very proud of our kids.”
The 5A-East Conference game was postponed from Friday because of winter weather but turned out to be worth the wait.
The Badgers (13-3, 3-1) took their biggest lead, 39-31, in the late stages of the third quarter and stayed out front in the fourth by capitalizing on Eagles turnovers. Greene Co. Tech (7-11, 2-2) showed superior ball movement in the first half on its way to a 19-14 lead at the end of the first quarter before Beebe’s defense began stepping into the passing lanes.
While Young gave the crowd plenty to cheer for in the end, junior forward Dayton Scott provided the highlights for the Badgers through most of the second half.
Scott, who paced Beebe with 15 points and seven rebounds, scored on a trio of ally-oop dunks in the second half, including one set up by Brandon Fuller with 54 seconds left in the third quarterto give the Badgers their 39-31 lead.
Scott also gave Beebe the lead late in the first half with a turnaround lay-in off the backboard glass and also drew a foul. Scott hit the free throw to put the Badgers up 23-22.
Beebe got back in the game with defense in the second quarter by holding Tech scoreless until Chase McCoeless scored inside to make it 21-16 with 3:55 left.
The Badgers continued to chip away with a shot in the lane by Austin Burroughs and a bank shot by Jamaal O’Neill that finally gave the lead back to Beebe, 24-23, with 1:28 left in the half.
Cody Batteon gave the Eagles the final word for the half when he hit a three pointer with 56 seconds left to make it 26-24 at halftime.
Beebe went on a 6-0 run to start the second half and again held Tech scoreless until midway through the third period.
It was the Badgers’ most dominant quarter as they outscored the Eagles 15-7.
McCoeless made a three-pointer to pull Greene Co. Tech within 41-40 and Batteon made a shot in the lane to give the Eagles their first lead of the second half, 42-41, with 5:23 left to play.
But the Eagles hurt themselves with turnovers on their next three possessions, and Beebe converted on two.
Scott gave the lead back to Beebe with another dunk assisted by Fuller with 2:06 left following a five-second call against Greene County Tech.
Senior post player Zach May scored a basket and drew a foul with 1:23 left. May missed the free throw, but Scott was there for a quick rebound and putback that put the Badgers up 47-42.
“They didn’t make a whole lot,” Marshall said of the turnovers.
“But when they made them, I thought they were at crucial points. I thought it was to our advantage; we definitely converted on two or three of them.”
Young’s last-second jumper gave the Badgers the victory as he finished with 13 points.
“For people who haven’t been watching him, he’s just been our go-to guy all year long,” Marshall said.
“You can’t shut him down for four quarters. That wasn’t necessarily the shot we were looking for, but he’s got the green light to just play ball there at the end of the game like that, and that’s what he did. He hit a big-time shot.”
Burroughs added six points for Beebe. McCoeless led Greene Co. Tech with 14 points while Batteon added 11.
Beebe was at Forrest City on Tuesday night for another 5A-East Conference game with the Mustangs.
