OZARK -- The County Line Indians relied on a third-quarter run to run past Shirley on Saturday night and into the state championship game for the second-straight season.
County Line put up 45 points in the middle two quarters and used its biggest scoring spree of the game for a 71-58 win over Shirley in the semifinals of the Class 1A state tournament at Ozark Activity Center.
County Line (44-0) will play Marked Tree in the championship game on Friday at 7:45 p.m. at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
"It's exciting," County Line Coach Joe Brunson said. "It's the goal for the year so to be able to do it is really enjoyable."
County Line led 12-10 after a quarter and scored 24 points in the second quarter for a 36-27 lead.
With Shirley still within, 44-35, midway of the third quarter, the Indians took off.
Cooper Watson started an 11-0 run with a basket off an offensive rebound and followed with a driving layup.
Watson grabbed a defensive rebound and threw a long outlet pass to Aundrae Milum, who converted an acrobatic layup and added a free throw after being fouled.
Kelby Rudd followed with two free throws, and Trent Johnston added two more free throws after a technical foul on Shirley's bench for a 55-35 lead with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
"We had a couple of stretches," Brunson said. "We had that stretch and we had one earlier in the second quarter where we were able to build a little bit of a lead. We had a couple of runs."
County Line went on to lead 57-40 after three quarters.
Milum finished with 24 points, Johnston 17 and Watson 12 for the Indians.
Shirley (33-7) was led by Hogan Little, who hit 5 three-pointers with at least one in every quarter. Arick Newell powered inside for 16 points.
MARKED TREE 56, BRINKLEY 44
An awesome sequence in the fourth quarter exemplified the Marked Tree Indians on Saturday.
The Indians used a two-basket string to pull away and put away a 56-44 win against Brinkley in the first of two semifinals of the Class 1A state tournament at the Ozark Activity Center.
Marked Tree (29-3) will play in the state championship game for the sixth time in team history and will be going for its first title since 2001.
"These kids worked so hard for it every day, day in and day out," said Marked Tree Coach Barbara Wilburn-Covington, who guided the Indians to the championship 22 years ago. "They wanted it. We're going."
Saturday, Marked Tree was leading 45-41 when Jonah Walker grabbed an offensive rebound and scored. On Brinkley's ensuing possession, Walker blocked a shot and after a missed shot, grabbed another offensive rebound and dished underneath to Donny Childs, who scored for a 49-41 lead with 4:09 left.
"That was awesome, awesome, awesome," Wilburn-Covington said. "Jonah made it happen, defensively. I always tell them the defensive end makes the offensive end. He got the big block and in transition was able to get down the floor and touch it again to pass it."
The two teams swapped small runs in the first half with Marked Tree breaking a 15-15 tie and leading 19-15 after a quarter before Brinkley took a 31-29 lead with the final four points of the half.
Marked Tree seized the lead for good with a 6-0 burst to start the second half started by a three-pointer by Cameron Marshall, but Kylan Baker ended the third quarter with a long three-pointer at the buzzer to get Brinkley within, 42-40.
Landon Lewis opened the fourth quarter with a conventional three-point play as Marked Tree answered.
"That's what counts," Wilburn-Covington said. "We don't need to keep it close like that all the time, though. Brinkley's a heck of a team. They gave us all we wanted, but the Indians prevailed."
Childs scored 14 points, Kenyon Carter 12, and Walker 11 for Marked Tree.
Baker and Christian Williams each scored 16 for Brinkley (24-7).
"You ought to see our practices," Wilburn-Covington said. "We go at it. Brinkley's a heck of a team. They gave us all we wanted but the Indians prevailed."
"That's what counts," Wilburn-Covington said. "We don't need to keep it close like that all the time, though."