By Tony Burns
Sports Editor
EL DORADO - Unbeaten El Dorado needed to be tested after a pair of blowout victories. Texarkana was happy to oblige Tuesday, pushing the Wildcats to overtime at Wildcat Arena before the Purple-and-White pulled out a 104-97 victory.
The Lady Wildcats improved to 6-2 on the season behind the play of Mekaylan Hicks, who scored 38 points to lead El Dorado to a 76-57 win.
The Wildcats ran their record to 8-0 but it wasn’t easy. The Razorbacks, whose only previous loss was at Bradley, entered the game with a glistening 7-1 record and an aggressive nature on the offensive end.
“We needed something like that to happen,” said El Dorado coach Gary Simmons. “We played a tough schedule early. We’ve had a lot of success. I think we think sometimes we can just run out and outscore people and then we forget to guard. Texarkana did a great job tonight.”
El Dorado senior Czar Perry scored 31 points with seven assists and 6-11 senior Daniel Gafford messed around and got a triple-double, finishing with 25 points, 31 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.
The teams combined for 105 points, five alley-oops and 13 total dunks - in the first half. The Razorbacks led 54-51 at the intermission. The Wildcats trailed 65-61 with 2:10 left in the third when Gafford went to the bench with his fourth foul.
Texarkana swarmed toward El Dorado’s basket like bees to a honey pot. Tavion Oliver drove for back-to-back lay-ups to push the lead to 69-61. But, the Wildcats retaliated with a 6-0 spurt to close the quarter. Ryu Unice passed ahead to Perry, whose double-pump dunk tied the game at 69-69 going into the fourth.
“They came in with a good game plan. They attacked, got a couple of fouls I didn’t think were fouls on Daniel,” said Simmons. “Of course that takes our rim protector away and their guards started salivating at the mouth, wanting to get to the rack.”
Gafford returned to start the final period and played the rest of the way. The Wildcats built an 81-75 cushion on a 3-pointer by Unice, a dunk by Perry and a putback by sophomore Brendan Johnson. Moments before, Johnson had drawn an offensive foul to single-handedly thwart a 2-on-1 break by the Razorbacks.
The Wildcats maintained the lead at 90-84 with 2:23 left in regulation. But, poor decisions on shot selections down the stretch opened the door for Texarkana. Oliver scored inside with Gafford handcuffed by fouls. Fabion Phillips drained a 3-pointer before Oliver drove the paint for another bucket to give the Razorbacks a 91-90 advantage with 58.4 seconds left. Gafford tied the game with a free throw with 42.9 seconds remaining.
Texarkana held for the final shot but couldn’t score over Gafford. El Dorado had a final gasp with 1.4 left but Perry’s heave was off, sending the game into overtime.
With new life, the Wildcats came out for the extra period, looking like a new team, especially on the defensive end. Gafford’s blocked shot led to a dunk by Charles Manning. Perry’s dunk punctuated another defensive stop. Gafford followed a two-hand throw down off an offensive rebound. The team’s fourth straight dunk was triggered by Gafford’s defensive board and outlet to Unice, who fed Perry for a tomahawk and yell in front of the Wildcats’ Sixth Man student section.
El Dorado built a 9-point lead in the OT and never looked back.
Unice contributed 23 with eight assists. Charles Manning scored 17 off the bench.
“We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of our business. They’re kids and they’ve had a lot of success. But, when we come home, sometimes we’re more about impressing our fans or parents instead of taking care of business first,” Simmons said. “I guess the end result is, you get a ‘W.’ We were a different team in the overtime. We’ll take it.”
Guards Oliver and Kyndal Martin paced the Razorbacks with 32 and 28, respectively. Phillips scored 16.
For once, El Dorado’s girls game wasn’t as dramatic as the boys. The Lady Wildcats led 36-34 late in the half before opening the third with fullcourt pressure defense. The ensuing 12-0 run gave the home team control and it never relinquished it.
Hicks pumped in a career-high 38 with 11 rebounds, four steals and four blocked shots. The senior UCA signee had 21 points at the half.
“I’ve talked to her all year long. I told her, ‘You’ve got to be the one to take over the game.’ She’s stepping up as a senior leader I knew she was going to be. And, she’s getting the job done,” said El Dorado coach Destinee Rogers. “I tell her all the time, ‘When you get it, if you can score, go score.’ She did exactly what I’m looking for tonight.”
Alexie Pope scored 13. Kierra Boone scored seven. Jashayla Hill came off the bench to hit two 3-pointers. Grace Murray had four assists.
“Alexie hit some good shots tonight so I was proud of her. I thought Jada (Wainright) came with that effort that I’ve been looking for her in the second half,” said Rogers. “I got onto them pretty good at halftime but they came out with a lot more energy. I’m excited about that but the bottom line is we’ve got to come out better than what we came out. We have to be ready to play.”
The coach also praised Boone, who gave Hicks a breather in the post.
“Kierra Boone played her butt off. She did exactly what I’ve been asking her to do,” said Rogers. “She’s gotten into the gym and put that one-on-one time in and is getting under the basket and posting up and finishing under the basket. I thought she did her job tonight so I’m very proud of her.”
India Young paced Texarkana (3-9) with 18 points while Tierra Holliman scored 17.