PRAIRIE GROVE -- Eric Henderson broke out in a big way, scoring a game-high 26 points, including 18 in crunch time to lead Prairie Grove to a 54-51 comeback win in overtime.
Henderson had only one field goal in the first three quarters, a 3-pointer in the first quarter, before taking over down the stretch in the season-opener at Ozark on Nov. 8.
"We got down in the third quarter, but really stuck with it and came back and went into overtime, made a big play at the buzzer to get it to OT, then just made some really good plays there late," said Prairie Grove coach Steve Edmiston.
Ozark Basketball posts Proverbs 17:27 on its Twitter account, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another," and that's what transpired.
Henderson got into a shootout with Ozark's Kyle Archer, a 5-feet-8 junior guard, who led the Hillbillies with 19 points. Archer scored 7 points in the fourth, but was just 1-of-5 at the foul line. Archer actually had one more field goal (8) than Henderson (7), but he struggled at the free throw line, making only three of 12 attempts and had no 3-pointers.
Henderson began his fourth quarter explosion at the foul line where he snapped the nets twice. His 4-point play, adding a free throw after getting fouled on a made 3-point shot, almost brought the house down as Hillbilly Arena quaked like Samson had a grip on its supporting pillars.
"It was just an offensive possession and we had a kick-out play. He caught it in rhythm . They were trying to close him out late. They kind of lost him and just kind of came across his arms as he released it. It went down and he made the free throw for the old four-point play, which we always love," Steve Edmiston said.
The feat fired up the Tigers and their fans and helped drive a stake into Ozark's hopes.
"It doesn't happen very often, but it did that night. We were on a roll in that fourth quarter and that was one of those plays that kind of continued that momentum," Steve Edmiston said.
The sensational climax capped a furious Prairie Grove rally that saw the Tigers score 28 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, erasing an 11-point deficit, 37-26, at the end of the third period. Senior Tate Benoit scored six of his 10 points in that time span for the Tigers. Cole Edmiston also reached double figures with 13 points. He had a big bucket in crunch time as did Austin Henry, who added five points.
Braeson Peters, a 6-feet-1 junior guard, scored 10 points for the Hillbillies but only two in the second half. With the Tigers guarding him, Ozark looked to sophomore Ryder Skolarski, a 6-feet-2, 180-pound forward, and he scored eight of his 10 points over the final two quarters.
Ozark's big-body, Drew Tedford, scored four points in the first quarter but the Tiger aggressiveness on the boards and defending the paint limited the 6-feet-2, 220-pound junior forward to six points in the game. Prairie Grove held onto an 11-10 slim lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Hillbillies hit a pair of treys in the second by Peters and Daxton Shaffer. Peters had six points in the period for Ozark. Cole Edmiston carried the Tigers in the second with 9 points and the game was tied 22-22 at the half.
Ozark outscored Prairie Grove 15-4 in the third quarter and built a 37-26 lead behind seven points by Archer and four from Skolarski in the period. Benoit scored the solitary field goal in the third for Prairie Grove and Henderson added a pair of free throws.
The Hillbillies could neither contain Henderson nor make free throws and those two factors spelled out defeat. Ozark finished six for 17 at the charity stripe, including a dismal one for six showing down the stretch.
Prairie Grove made five 3-pointer in the contest and finished 11 for 17 at the free throw line, led by Henderson's eight for nine production.