HARREL, BEARCATS TO FACE LINCOLN IN CLASS 3A REGION 1 TOURNAMENT WEDNESDAY

The Booneville Bearcats will make their way to Elkins tomorrow for the Class 3A Region 1 tournament.

The Bearcats, who will face Conference 3A-1 regular season champion – the district tournament was shortened due to weather – Lincoln Wolves.

Though seeded sixth in the District 3A-4 tournament, the Bearcats earned their way into the regional with a win last Friday night.

Noah Harrel, who broke hearts in Lavaca on Valentine’s Day, played a big part in shooting down the Golden Arrows to earn the bid.

With 1:09 to play Harrel hit a go-ahead 3 and the Bearcats took down Lavaca 45-42, beating the Arrows for the third time – by a combined 6 points – this season.

Harrel, who had also tied the game at 39 and 41 with baskets earlier in the final quarter, finished with a game-high 19 points.

Early on it did not appear the game would be destined for the 40s. It was 17-10 after just one quarter as the Bearcats hit five 3s .

Jace Washburn accounted for three of them with Dakota Mattson and Tayden Washburn also connecting.

However Lavaca limited the Bearcats to just five second quarter points – all by Harrel, including a 3 – and took a 25-22 lead at the half.

The sixth lead change of the game came on a conventional 3-point play by Tayden Washburn with 2:25 left in the third quarter but the Arrows retook the lead before the teams started the final quarter deadlocked at 37-37.

On Saturday in the semifinals against Subiaco Harrel started the scoring with a 3 and the Bearcats also led 6-4 on a 3 by Mattson.

Subiaco led 14-11 late in the quarter but managed a basket at the buzzer to start what would be a 16-1 run before the Bearcats scored from the floor again.

The Bearcats never recovered as the Trojans, who would win the tournament on Monday night, would lead by as many as 25 before halftime and by no less than 19 the rest of the way.

Girls

The Lady Bearcats saw their 12-win season come to an end Friday win a 53-31 loss to Paris in a game that determined who would play in this week’s regional tournament.

Tempi Terry scored 12 points to lead the Lady Bearcats and Baylee Parnell added 10. Angie Brown added five assists to the single season school record she already holds.