MAGNOLIA — With Arkansas basketball coaches in attendance, all three of the Razorbacks' 2017 signees and a 2018 commit moved a step closer to a state title on Thursday, but it didn’t come easy.
Center signee Daniel Gafford and El Dorado advanced to the Class 6A semifinals; guard signee Khalil Garland and forward commit Ethan Henderson helped Little Rock Parkview to the Class 5A semifinals; and forward signee Darious Hall of Little Rock Mills advanced to the 5A quarterfinals.
“The big thing is to just get the win and live to fight another day,” Hall said.
Hall had 10 points and 6 rebounds, but was limited by early foul trouble in his team’s 69-39 win over host Magnolia at the Class 5A state tournament.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson was in Magnolia for the game.
“I saw him over there and wanted to play more, but the fouls kind of slowed me down,” Hall said. “I can’t wait to get up there and play for him next season.
“I’m proud of them (the Razorbacks). I am glad they stuck together when people didn’t believe in them. They believed in themselves, continued to work hard and it has showed in the games.”
Hall picked up two fouls in the first quarter as Mills rushed out to a 19-4 lead. He watched Magnolia close within 24-18 before re-entering and a third shortly after returning in the second quarter.
Hall did not start the third quarter, but returned midway through the third and helped junior guard Grehlon Easter (25 points) help put the Panthers away.
“The way the refs call it, you have to watch the way you play and adjust,” Hall said. “I had to sit down until almost half the way through the third quarter, but I came back out and played solid defense and kept my hands up and help lead my team to the win.”
Mills coach Raymond Cooper had warned him to ease into the game.
“He is a really aggressive player and I tried to tell him early to settle into the game and see how the flow of the game went and how it would be officiated,” Cooper said.
“But he picks up a tick-tack foul reaching at the ball early and then gets another one under the goal while pushing off and holding a guy and now he is playing passive, but he was able to get loose in the second half.”
The Comets (28-2) will face Maumelle (27-4) for the first time this season on Friday at 8:30 p.m. The winner will move into a Saturday's semifinal round game.
Maumelle hammered Forrest City 100-72 in tournament action on Wednesday.
“We have got to come in and play solid defense and stick to our game plan,” Hall said.
Gafford also had major foul trouble as he and his team edged Marion 57-53 at the Class 6A state tournament at Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy.
Gafford, who had Arkansas assistant Melvin Watkins on-hand for his game, picked up three fouls in the first half and his fourth in the third quarter before coming back in late in the fourth quarter to help his team rally to win.
He only played around 10 minutes with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks - far off his averages of 18 points, 15 rebounds and 8 blocks per game.
El Dorado (27-4) moves on to play Pine Bluff - which beat West Memphis 47-44 in overtime - in a Saturday semifinal at 1:30 p.m. at Lake Hamilton.
Garland had 10 points, including a steal and slam that capped a 12-0 third quarter run that helped Parkview pull away from Harrison for a 67-50 at the Class 5A Tournament.
“We just kept it together once they took the lead and did the things that we needed to do to win,” Garland said. “We never panicked and just kept pushing toward the finish line.”
Henderson, a junior pledge, had 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks for the Patriots, who are playing for second consecutive state title.
“You can’t let up at this point,” Henderson said. “We are now just one game away from getting back to the final.”
Parkview (27-5) will play the winner of Friday’s game between Sylvan Hills and Morrilton on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.