Southwest Christian, the unbeaten and No. 1-ranked team in Arkansas by MaxPreps, defeated Hamilton Heights’ boys, 73-70, Saturday in the Bartlett High School Invitational in Memphis.
Southwest had a nine-point lead with 1:02 left in the game, but drew a foul, plus a technical and the Hawks’ Sam Ruzhentsev and Wheza Panzo each made two free throws to cut lead Lions’ lead to 71-66.
Later, the Hawks’ Kevaughn Ellis made a 3 and Hamilton Heights was down 72-70 with 19 seconds on the clock.
The Lions (8-0) hit a free throw for the final three-point margin.
Ellis and Ruzhentsev each scored 11 points to lead the Hawks (9-3).
Shakur Daniel led the Lions with 19 points and Jabriel Price added 18.
In a late Friday game, the Hawks defeated host Bartlett, 67-65.
Hamilton Heights got back-to-back 3-pointers by Kevaughn Ellis and Sampson Ruzhentsev for a six-point lead in the final 30 seconds. The host Panthers scored to slice their deficit to four points and after a traveling violation on the Hawks, Bartlett got a basket in the lane for the final two-point spread.
Tre Edwards led the Hawks with 15 points. Ellis and Ruzhentsev each scored 11 points and Wheza Panzo had 10 points.
Jalen Cincore paced Bartlett(6-3) with 17 points.
Saturday Boxscore
Southwest Christian 23 10 17 23 – 73
Hamilton Heights 18 21 8 23 – 70
Southwest Christian (73) – Shakur Daniel 19, Mykah McIntosh 13, Jabriel Price 18, Jovic 4, Jerotic 5, Mawein, Tim Ceasar 11, Kennedy 3.
Hamilton Heights (70) – Kevaughn Ellis 11, Rawls 2, Panzo 9, Edwards 9, Gilgeous-Alexander 2, Sam Ruzhentsev 11, LeGuenne 6, Jitoboh 4, Plavsic 9.
3-Point Goals – Southwest Christian 2 (McIntosh 1, Price 1), Hamilton Heights 9 (Edwards 3, Panzo 3, Ruzhentsev 1, LeGuenne 1, Ellis 1).
Friday Boxscore
Hamilton Heights (67) – Kevaughn Ellis 11, Rawls 9, Wheza Panzo 10, Tre Edwards 15, Gilgeous-Alexander 2, Ambrose 2, Sampson Ruzhentsev 11, Jitoboh 2, Plavsic 4.
Bartlett (65) – Jefferson Walker 14, Brown 6, Thompson, Carpenter 9, Jalen Cincore 17, Manley, Mason 4, Takon Rooks 13.
3-Point Goals – Hamilton Heights 8 (Ellis 2, Panzo 2, Edwards 2, Ruzhentsev 2), Bartlett 10 (Cincore 3, Carpenter 3, Walker 2, Brown 2.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)