PRAIRIE GROVE -- Siloam Springs' boys basketball team rallied from a 12-point, second half deficit to defeat Prairie Grove 43-38 on Tuesday, Nov. 20.
The Panthers (2-0 overall) did it with defense and Murphy Perkins taking over down the stretch. The senior guard had two steals and sank 4 of 6 free throws in the final 1 minute, 14 seconds to seal the nonconference victory.
Leading 41-38 with 26.9 seconds remaining in regulation, Siloam Springs made a defensive switch that appeared to baffle the Tigers as they were unable to even get a shot off. Perkins' ended the defensive stop with his second steal and that led to his final two free throws to put the outcome out of Prairie Grove's reach with 2.7 seconds remaining.
"We came out in a new defense that they weren't familiar with," Perkins said. "We knew they were going to struggle against it and we knew (Riley Rhodes) was their best shooter, so we had to keep the ball out of his hand, and once we did that it pretty much sealed the deal."
The rally began shortly after Prairie Grove's Alex Edmiston's bucket gave the Tigers a 33-21 lead early in the second half. The teams traded buckets until a rebound and stick-back from Siloam Springs senior Jacob Wakefield turned into a traditional three-point play to trim the margin to 36-29 heading into the fourth quarter.
Siloam Springs scored the next 10 points unanswered and went on to outscore the Tigers 14-2 in the final quarter. Thanks to a defensive adjustment, the Tigers were held without a field goal in the fourth quarter as the only two points came on a pair of free throws.
"We actually played a little 1-3-1 (defense) down the stretch and then went back to our normal 3-2," said Siloam Springs coach Tim Stewart. "It all changed once we were able to get the lead because it changed what we were trying to do and how we were running it.
"We needed some pressure on the top of the zone and give credit to our kids because they made a lot of hustle plays."
The fourth quarter began with back-to-back drives to the basket by Evan Sauer and Perkins. Sauer, a junior, then swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key to even the score at 36-36. Another 3-pointer by senior Karson Clement gave the Panthers their first lead (39-36) since early in the second quarter.
"Our kids hit some big, tough shots down the stretch," Stewart said. "That was a heckuva game and (Prairie Grove) did a nice job controlling the tempo because we were trying everything we could (defensively) to speed them up.
"Once we made that little run with a couple of steals. That allowed us to go back to how we like to play that zone (defense) because we could force them to have to make a play."
The Panthers' student section, also known as "The Pit," traveled well, even outnumbering the normally raucous Prairie Grove student section. Members of "The Pit" joined players for a loud, postgame celebration in the locker room, a tradition that began after wins during football season.
"We have to bring all our friends from 'The Pit' to celebrate with us because they're a big part of this win," Perkins said. "We used to do it in football, and it was a lot of fun, so we've just kept it going."
Siloam Springs 43, Prairie Grove 38
Siloam Springs^11^10^8^14^--^38
Prairie Grove^11^14^11^2^--^43
Siloam Springs (2-0): Sauer 13, Perkins 9, Ward 8, Wakefield 7, Clement 6.
Prairie Grove (1-2): Rhodes 11, Vertz 8, Edmiston 5, Mayers 5, Pohlman 4, Millwood 2, Webb 2, Risner 1.
Sports on 11/25/2018