Parkview honors coach, drops PB

LR PARKVIEW 70, PINE BLUFF 55

On a night when it celebrated one of its legendary former coaches, Little Rock Parkview made sure it left a lasting impression in its home opener.

The Patriots got a boost from several of their reserves and fended off second-half challenges from Pine Bluff to pick up a 70-55 victory Tuesday night at the newly-named Al Flanigan Court at Ripley Arena.

Cam Wallace finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks for Parkview (31), which kicked off a historic week for the program by outlasting the Zebras in front of the man it officially named its court after.

Al Flanigan, who won more than 500 games and seven state championships during his 23 years with the Patriots before retiring in 2019, was honored prior to the game with a ceremony that included the unveiling of his name placed on the gymnasium floor. Flanigan, along with his sons, several of his former assistants and a number of administrators from the Little Rock School District, were in attendance for the event — one that ended with the honoree waving his trademark towel in the air following a spirited speech at mid-court.

Also, the Parkview will be taking part in the inaugural Charles Ripley Holiday Basketball Tournament, beginning on Thursday at Little Rock Southwest High School. The classic is named after the late Parkview coach, who died in 2020, and will run through Saturday.

But the last thing the Patriots wanted against Pine Bluff was to get caught looking ahead.

Parkview was locked in a battle for most of the first half until two free throws from Wallace late in the second quarter started a closing 8-0 burst that gave the Patriots a 37-26 lead at halftime. The Patriots extended their margin to 41-28 in the early stages of the third quarter until a quick 6-0 run got the Zebras going.

However, backups Drake Marbley and Darius Miller combined to score 11 points during a 14-2 rally that completely changed the trajectory of the game.

“I was pleased that we had a 10th grader come off the bench and really lift us,” Parkview Coach Scotty Thurman said of Marbley. “He really came in and gave us a boost, and to be honest with you, that was good for our older guys to see. I’ve been trying to get them to understand that we can’t just show up and beat people. Everybody is going to be gunning for us, and I don’t think they quite understand that.

“And then Darius came off the bench and gave us a lift. We had some other guys come off the bench, too. … Jaylen Thomas Miller. The guys that usually get it done for us have been in and out of it mentally. So it’s good to see others step up.”

Parkview took a 55-38 left in the final quarter and never let its cushion dip below 15 points the rest of the way.

J.K. Sanders had 10 points and Jaylen Thomas Miller finished with nine points for the Patriots, who were 21 of 53 (39.6%) from the field. Dallas Thomas added 8 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Troy’reon Ramas scored 12 points and Cedric Adams finished with 10 points for Pine Bluff (2-3), which shot 20 of 55 (36.4%). Courtney Crutchfield had nine points, while Jordon Harris ended with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.