PB Showdown wrapup

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Jonesboro blew through the 26th annual Poplar Bluff Showdown, winning the title Saturday night with a 79-55 win over Liberty Tech.

Kahron Ross scored 23 points to go with seven assists for Jonesboro (Ark.) while Marquise Pointer added 13 points, Aaron Washington added 11 and Randle Toliver chipped in 10.

The Golden Hurricane (11-2) hit 11-of-21 shots from 3-point range.

Liberty Tech of Jackson, Tenn. fell to 2-1 in championship games at the Showdown. Daniel Hill missed a triple-double by three rebounds with 13 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.

Hill, Ross and Pointer were named to the all-tournament team. Devin Booker of Moss Point (Miss.), Khalid Hagens of Maplewood-Richmond Heights and Zarmalus Griffin of Memphis Booker T. Washington were also selected with Poplar Bluff reserve Ryan Brittingham.

Jonesboro led 19-7 after the first quarter and by 10 heading into the final frame, during which the Hurricane outscored Tech 29-15.

In three tournament games, Jonesboro outscored opponents 65-50 in the fourth and 59-34 in the opening quarter.

Jonesboro hit 7-of-10 shots from 3-point range in the second half and hit 46 percent from the field in the game. The Hurricane forced 16 turnovers behind 10 steals, three from Keith Williams.

THIRD PLACE

Poplar Bluff 41, Booker T. Washington 39

Ryan Brittingham hit two free throws with 8 seconds left, breaking a tie to give the host a win over the defending tournament champions.

The Warriors played keep away for much of the night and held a 6-point lead with 2 1/2 minutes to play.

Poplar Bluff (8-3) placed third for the first time since 2009, also the last time they went 2-1 in the annual tournament.

It took a wild finish and a pair of heads-up plays by the Mules.

Zarmalus Griffin, who led BTW with 21 points, missed a long 3 from straightaway and the rebound bounced to Poplar Bluff's Lance Gray under the basket. The senior quickly headed upcourt and sent a long pass from midcourt to under the basket at the right block.

"You just keep going until you hear a whistle blow," Gray said. "I was just going and I saw a wide-open man."

That was Brittingham, who was fouled going for a layup with 8 seconds left. The junior sank both free throws for the lead.

Brittingham, who scored 26 in the opener, had 14 points off the bench by hitting 4-of-6 shots from 3-point range. Stacy Gipson added 11 points and eight rebounds while Brandon Stuckenschnedier added seven points.

Down 39-33, Stuckenschneider scored in the paint with 2:24 left then scored again off a pass from Brittingham with 79 seconds to play.

The sophomore then tipped a pass off a BTW player and out of bounds to force a turnover with 1:10 to go.

Joseph Eyler tied it at 39 when a missed 3 rebounded and was tipped to the sophomore under the basket with 52 seconds to play, setting up the final plays.

Griffin missed a long 3 at the buzzer with a defender running at him.

FIFTH PLACE

Maplewood-RH 50, Moss Point 38

The Blue Devils went 2-1 at the Showdown for a second straight year, beating newcomer Moss Point on Saturday.

Corey Frazier scored 11 points to go with six assists while Aaron Collins and Colten Brooks each chipped in 10 for MRH (11-3), which were the runner-ups last year.

Devin Booker scored 26 points for Moss Point (6-10) to finish with a tournament-high 92 points.

The Blue Devils led 12-5 after one quarter and held the Tigers to 11 first-half points and 33 percent shooting for the game while forcing 16 turnovers.

SEVENTH PLACE

Forrest City 53, Kirby 40

Trey Thompson missed a triple-double by two points and two blocks as the Mustangs won Saturday.

Thompson hit 4-of-6 shots for eight points to go with 12 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists. Dwain Whitfield led Forrest City with 13 points.

The Mustangs (6-5), who were sixth at the Showdown last year, never trailed as they jumped out to a 19-4 lead after one quarter.

LaDarrius Mitchell led Kirby (4-8) with 10 points.

Jonesboro 19 13 18 29 -- 79

Liberty Tech 7 17 16 15 -- 55

JONESBORO (11-2) -- White 0-3 3-4 3. Ross 8-13 (3-5) 4-4 23. Lockhart 1-3 (0-1) 4-4 6. Perkins 1-1 (1-1) 0-0 3. Toliver 3-7 (3-7) 1-1 10. Pointer 4-13 (3-4) 2-2 13. Williams 3-6 0-0 6. Washington 4-6 (1-2) 2-2 11. York 1-2 (0-1) 2-2 4. Totals: 25-54 (11-21) 18-19 79.

Rebounds: 24 (White 4. Pointer 4. Williams 4. Washington 4.) Assists: 12 (Ross 7.) Blocks: 3 (Lockhart. Toliver. Williams.) Steals: 10 (Williams 3.)

LIBERTY TECH (7-4) -- Hill 4-12 (2-6) 3-4 13. Walker 3-8 (1-2) 0-0 7. Simmons 3-10 (2-8) 0-0 8. Taylor 5-10 (1-1) 0-0 11. Beauregard 3-4 0-0 6. Crisp 3-5 0-0 6. Pirtle 2-3 0-0 4. Totals: 23-54 (6-19) 3-4 55.

Rebounds: 32 (Hill 7. Taylor 7. Crisp 7.) Assists: 15 (Hill 10.) Blocks: 0. Steals: 4 (Hill 2. Walker 2.)

Third Place

B.T. Washington 12 7 10 10 -- 39

Poplar Bluff 8 7 10 16 -- 41

BTW (6-3) -- Carwell 4-5 0-2 8. Taylor 2-7 (0-1) 0-1 4. Griffin 10-23 (1-3) 0-0 21. Franklin 3-11 (0-3) 0-0 6. Howard 0-1 0-0 0. Taylor 0-2 (0-2) 0-0 0. Bell 0. Totals: 19-49 (1-9) 0-3 39.

Rebounds: 20 (Carwell 4.) Assists: 6 (Franklin 4.) Blocks: 1 (Howard.) Steals: 10 (Taylor 5.)

POPLAR BLUFF (8-3) -- Eyler 2-5 (1-2) 0-2 5. Tibbs 0-4 (0-1) 0-0 0. Gipson 5-8 1-2 11. Stuckenschneider 2-5 (0-1) 3-4 7. Gray 1-3 0-0 2. Tillman 0. White 0. Brittingham 4-6 (4-6) 2-2 14. McAnulty 0. Stocks 1-6 (0-2) 0-0 2. Totals: 15-37 (5-12) 6-10 41

Rebounds: 28 (Gipson 8. Eyler 5.) Assists: 11 (Eyler 4.) Blocks 2 (Gipson. Eyler.) Steals: 3 (Eyler 2.)

Fifth Place

Maplewood-RH 12 8 14 16 -- 50

Moss Point 5 6 10 10 17 -- 38

MRH (11-3) -- Brooks 4-10 (0-1) 2-2 10. Williams 1-2 0-0 2. Hagens 2-9 (0-2) 1-2 5. Spudlich 3-4 0-0 6. Frazier 4-13 (1-3) 2-2 11. Greenwalt 2-8 (2-8) 0-0 6. Guynn 0-1 0-0 0. Collins 4-6 2-4 10. Dudley 0. Phillips 0. Halfacre 0. Totals: 20-53 (3-14) 7-10 50.

Rebounds: 28 (Collins 10. Spudlich 7.) Assists: 10 (Frazier 6.) Blocks: 2 (Hagens. Spudlich.) Steals: 8 (Hagens 3.)

MOSS POINT (6-10) -- Booker 7-20 (4-11) 8-9 26. Mitchell 0-2 0-0 0. Payton 4-6 0-2 8. McCarty 0-4 (0-1) 0-1 0. McMillan 0-1 0-0 0. Trussel 0-2 (0-2) 0-0 0. Randolph 1-3 0-0 2. Roy 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 13-39 (4-14) 8-12 38.

Rebounds: 25 (Payton 10. Booker 7.) Assists: 7 (McCarty 4.) Blocks: 3 (Payton 2.) Steals: 1 (Payton.)

Seventh Place

Forrest City 19 6 9 19 -- 53

Kirby 4 13 13 10 -- 40

FORREST CITY (6-5) -- Hutchienson 3-10 (3-4) 0-0 9. Smith 1-3 (0-1) 2-2 4. Thompson 4-6 0-0 8. Coulter 3-7 (0-2) 3-3 9. Whitfield 6-11 1-1 13. Tripp 2-6 (0-1) 0-0 4. Jordan 1-5 (0-1) 0-1 2. Baker 0. Silours 1-3 0-0 2. Williams 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 22-53 (3-9) 6-7 53.

Rebounds: 35 (Thompson 12. Whitfield 7.) Assists: 13 (Thompson 5.) Blocks: 12 (Thompson 8.) Steals: 10 (Tripp 3. Jordan 3.)

KIRBY (4-8) -- Mitchell 4-11 (2-4) 0-0 10. Isabel 1-12 (0-7) 0-0 2. Miller 2-6 (1-3) 1-1 6. Bates 3-7 (1-3) 0-2 7. McNeil 0-1 0-0 0. Franklin 1-6 (1-3) 1-2 4. Wilkins 0. Banks 2-5 0-0 4. Malone 2-6 0-0 4. Walls 1-3 1-2 3. Pulliam 0. Totals: 16-57 (5-20) 3-7 40.

Rebounds: 32 (Miller 6.) Assists: 9 (Isabel 4.) Blocks: 7 (Miller 4.) Steals: 12 (Mitchell 4. Miller 3.)