Lavaca boys basketball wins its first state championship, beats Magnet Cove
HOT SPRINGS - Lavaca won its first Arkansas Activities Association boys basketball state championship Friday night, defeating Magnet Cove 50-34 in the 2A title game at Bank OZK Arena.
Magnet Cove (28-9) averaged 57.6 points entering the game, but the Golden Arrows (35-2) held the Panthers to four points in the opening quarter. The 34-point total matched the season low from Dec. 4 against Glen Rose.
Lavaca was making its first finals appearance since 1981.
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Despite Lavaca's tallest starter being 6-foot-2, the Golden made it difficult to score inside. Meanwhile, Luke Watson, typically assigned to the opposition's top player, was key in holding Evin Ashcraft to six points and 1-of-10 from the field.
Senior guard Kolby Glidewell, who entered as Lavaca's leading scorer at 14 points per game, was awarded Tournament MVP after putting up a game-high 20 in the finals.
The game was tied 23-23 with 3:55 left in the third quarter, but Lavaca went on a 13-0 run which ended with a Kadin Baker free throw with 7:45 left in the fourth quarter.
Magnet Cove outrebounded the Golden Arrows 34-23. It's only the second time Lavaca had been out-rebounded this season, the other time in a 64-55 loss to Eureka Springs in the 2A West Regional Final.
Lavaca's only other loss came on Nov. 16 to 1A state finalist County Line, 50-49.
You can follow Bryant Roche on Twitter and you can email him at BRoche@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Lavaca boys basketball wins first state championship with win over Magnet Cove
