'Cats top Sparta in final seconds

With 4.9 seconds remaining, Jordan Adams made one of two free throws to lift Anna-Jonesboro to a 51-50 win over visiting Sparta in Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division high school boys’ basketball Friday, Feb. 5.

“We struggled making free throws,” A-J coach Rob Wright said. “But it’s kind of fitting that we wound up winning the game on one.”

The winning free throw, the first of two, hit the rim, bounced around and appeared like it was going to fall harmlessly to the floor before dropping through the net.

The Wildcats, who only made 10 of 22 free throws for the game, were only 1 of 4 in the final period.

Adams, who led the Wildcats with three 3-pointers, opened the game with a trey. A-J was ahead 5-0 and 9-2 before Sparta started rolling.

The Bulldogs pulled ahead 13-12 after one quarter.

Gabe Pecord, who made 4 of 4 free throws in the second quarter, paced the Wildcats efforts in the frame with 6 points as they trailed 28-24 at the half.

With Adams opening the second half with a 3-pointer and J.R. Woodward closing out a 7-point unanswered run with a basket, the Wildcats pulled ahead 31-28.

A-J’s Tylor Duckworth closed out the quarter with a pair of baskets but the Wildcats trailed 43-41 going into the final period.

Late in the final period, Adams tied the game 48-48 on a 3-pointer.

The Bulldogs countered with a basket and A-J’s Brady Wright tied the game on a basket 50-50 to set up Adam’s game-winning basket.

Wright led A-J with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Adams added 12 points. Duckworth had 8 points. Woodward finished with 7 points and 12 rebounds. Pecord had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Jacob Brimm added 2 points.

“We played hard,” Wright said. “We didn’t always play well, but we played hard.”

The Wildcats were 16 of 31 in shot attempts from the field and 3 of 9 from 3-point range.

Maurice Austin had 12 points to lead the Bulldogs,  who were 14 of 28 in shot attempts from the field, 4 of 8 from 3-point range and 10 of 18 from the charity stripe.

A-J, which improved to 14-11 and 2-5 in the conference, is scheduled to play on the road at Nashville Friday and at Chester Saturday.

“I told our kids we need to keep moving,” Wright said. “It doesn’t get any easier with back-to-back road trips.”