MAGNOLIA — Arkansas signee Khalil Garland and his Little Rock Parkview teammates got a wake up call late Thursday but answered in fantastic fashion.
Now the Patriots (27-5) are just a win away from playing for a second consecutive state title. Parkview will take the court against Sylvan Hills Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in a semifinal round game in Magnolia.
“We battle,” Garland said of a team that was down 37-36 before going on a 12-0 run in the third quarter. “Some of the fouls didn’t go our way and Harrison was a very good team. But we didn’t quit and that is all that matters.”
Curtis White led Parkview with 20 points while Javon Franklin had 12, Garland 10, freshman Moses Moody 10 points and 2018 Arkansas commit Ethan Henderson 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in the win over Harrison.
The Patriots are deep and can play 12 players during a game.
“We feel like this - whoever has the hot hand, we have got to keep feeding them until they cool off,” Garland said. “We share the ball really well and we always have somebody stepping up to help us get the win. Nobody complains about now scoring enough points because we are all about the (wins).”
The 12-0 run was capped by a steal and dunk from Garland, who is averaging 15 points and 6 rebounds this season.
“We really locked in on our defense,” Garland said. “We went to a 3-2 zone and we never looked back from there.”
Garland, the 55th-best player in the 2017 class, according to ESPN, is part of a three-man Arkansas signing class that also includes El Dorado center Daniel Gafford (6-11, 223) and Little Rock Mills forward Darious Hall (6-7, 210).
All three of those players were plagued with fouls in Thursday game and all three scored 10 points.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson was on hand to see Garland and Hall on Thursday while Razorbacks assistant Melvin Watkins was in Lake Hamilton to watch Gafford.
“Arkansas is playing really good basketball right now,” Garland said. “I think they are 8-2 in the last 10 games and me, Daniel and Darious talk all the time about how much we are looking forward to getting up there and helping out.”
Garland would like to play point guard at Arkansas at some point in his career.
“They (the Razorback coaching staff) look at me as a one and two,” Garland said. “But I will play anywhere they need me to help the team.”
Gafford, ESPN’s 48th-best player nationally, is averaging 18 points, 15 rebounds and 8 blocks per game this season. He and El Dorado (27-4) will face Pine Bluff Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in a Class 6A semifinal for the right to play in the championship game next week in Hot Springs.
Hall - also a four-star and top 100 player per ESPN - and Little Rock Mills (29-2) will play Hot Springs in Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. other semifinal.
Hall, who is averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds this season, had 23 points and 13 rebounds in Mills' 75-59 win over Maumelle on Friday night.
Jonesboro - featuring Arkansas 2018 pledge Desi Sills - will play Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the other Class 6A semifinal against the winner of Little Rock Hall.
Fort Smith Northside's Isaiah Joe (6-4, 180) - another 2018 Razorback pledge - had 18 points, 4 assists and 4 steals to lead his team over Bryant on Friday night and into Saturday's semifinal against Springdale Har-Ber Saturday night at 7:30 in Van Buren..