Wildcats finish 4-1 in Goreville tournament play
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Noah Fuller scored 23 points to lead <a href="http://www.aj81.net/" target="_blank">Anna-Jonesboro</a> to a 66-52 win over host Goreville in its final game at the <a href="http://www.gorevilleschools.com/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1" target="_blank">Blackcat Invitational</a> high school boys' basketball tournament, Dec. 6. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Zach Parr added 18 points for the Wildcats. Dakota Earnhart had 14 points, Noah Prater 7 and Zane DeWitt 6.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J was on top 14-9 after one quarter. The Blackcats came on for a 17-11 run in the second quarter to pull ahead 26-25 at the half. The Wildcats topped Goreville 17-11 in the third quarter to take a 42-37 lead into the last period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 19 of 47 in shot attempts from the floor, 2 of 8 from 3-point range and 18 of 29 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Harrisburg 82, A-J 80:</strong> The Bulldogs nipped the Wildcats in overtime to give A-J its first loss of the season in an earlier game Saturday, Dec. 6.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats led throughout the game, but the Bulldogs tied the contest in the waning seconds to send it in to overtime.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">"We had the lead the whole game," A-J coach Mike Chamness said. "They hit a 25-footer with 18 seconds remaining."</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">But Parr did set the scoring record in a single game with 41 points in to lead the Wildcats in their lone loss. The old record was 40 points.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Prater added 13 points, Fuller 12, Earnhart 6, Derek Harvell and DeWitt 3 apiece and Collin Prather 2.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats led 18-11 after one quarter and 29-27 at the half. The game was knotted 48-48 going into the final period and 71-71 at the end of regulation play. The Bulldogs outscored the Wildcats 11-9 in the overtime to eke out the win.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">"It was good to play a team like that with that many good athletes," Chamness said. "I was just glad we got some experience. We're a young team."</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J's Parr, Fuller and Prater were named to the all-tournament team.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J finished the tournament with a 4-1 record. The Wildcats were one of three teams in the tournament to go 4-1 – the other two were Harrisburg and Benton.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Harrisburg won the tie-breaker with 71 percent free throw shooting. A-J shot 66 percent from the line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>A-J 70, Egyptian 19:</strong> The Wildcats pulled ahead 24-4 in the first quarter on their way to the rout of Egyptian Friday, Dec. 5.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Earnhart led the way with 16 points for A-J. Ryan Stark added 13 points, Fuller 12, DeWitt 8, Parr 7, Elijah Smith 6, Prater 4 and Wyatt Smith and Garrett Nimmo 2 apiece.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>A-J 65, Johnston City 35:</strong> Fuller led the way for the Wildcats with 16 points in the win on Tuesday, Dec. 2.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Prater added 13 points, Parr 8, Earnhart and Elijah Smith 6 apiece, DeWitt and Blake Klett 4 each and Stark, Wyatt Smith, Prather and Nimmo 2 each.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J pulled ahead 16-10 after one quarter and 36-16 at the half. The Wildcats were in command 45-27 headed into the final period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 26 of 37 in shot attempts from the floor, 4 of 19 from 3-point range and 9 of 14 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J is scheduled to play Friday at home in a season-opening River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division game against Nashville. On Saturday, A-J is at home against Cobden in a matchup of Union County rivals.</span></p>