HOT SPRINGS, Ark.-Ashdown left little doubt it would be taking home the Class 3A boys basketball title long before the final buzzer.
The Panthers completed a 28-2 season with the crown so many high school teams chase.
Drew Central was left chasing Ashdown for nearly the entire game, holding the lead for a brief 16 seconds in the second quarter, sparking a 45-14 run by the state champs en route to a 69-40 victory at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
For the final two minutes, the younger, future stars for both teams were able to please the crowd of 3,168 as the Pirates conceded defeat to the Panthers, pulling their seniors and starters off the floor for the final time. Ashdown followed suit with its young players, as well, claiming its first basketball championship in school history.
That decision came down from Joe Baker, who was filling in for James Smith on the bench for the Panthers. Smith, who received an ejection in the fourth quarter of the semifinal game at Osceola, was not allowed to be present during the championship game due to the state's rule that coaches have to miss the next game after an ejection.
"Our coaches did a good job with them tonight, we prepared very well, and today during the shoot-around, you could tell the kids had bought in entirely," Smith said. "We had to play well defensively-that's where it all starts for us all year long-and the only way we were going to go was to shut people down. I had a good feeling when I left (the arena) today."
Smith admitted he didn't watch the game on television or listen to the radio broadcast. At halftime an Ashdown supporter texted him the score (36-18 Panthers) and again after the third quarter (54-26).
"I told the guys early in the week that it was over and to quit worrying about it," Smith said about him not being able to coach during the finals due to his semifinal ejection last week. "It's not about me, it's about them. I was there to prepare them, to get them ready, and the coaches will take them through and they just need to do what we've worked on in practice."
With the game tied at 9 after the first quarter, Drew Central scored on a layup-and-1 15 seconds into the second. Following a layup by John Smith for Ashdown, Keamon Nutt scored in a transition and converted the free throw after he was fouled on the play.
Ashdown never trailed again. The Panthers led for 28:54 of the 32 minutes with tie scores occupying 2:50 of the game clock.
Lamar Wilkerson was named the Most Valuable Player with his 12 points, four steals and four assists. Nutt scored a game-high 18 points and had four steals, John Smith added 15 points, and Kaiden Hunter also had 12 points for the Panthers.
"We were quicker than they were, and so that motivated us to get out in transition after a steal," Wilkerson said. "Once he (Nutt) got the And-1, that got our offense clicking. We got a few steals and got down quick in transition; we got into a rhythm to do what we do."
Wilkerson also had the austere job of guarding Pirate leading scorer Nicky Barnard, holding him to just five points. Ashdown finished with 12 steals, and Drew Central committed 18 total turnovers. The Panthers had eight turnovers, only two by steal.
"What really turns these guys' motors is stopping their opponent," Smith said. "They can score, but the defensive end is what really gets them going. They enjoy getting in people's face, shutting them down and pushing the ball down the floor. They work for good shots, and they're all able to work the basketball."
Ashdown shot 59.5 percent (25 of 42) for the game and hit 18 of 22 during the middle quarters. The Panthers limited Drew Central to 32.4 percent on 11-of-34 shooting.