JONESBORO -- Sleet, freezing rain and hazardous road conditions forced the postponement of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational tournament Wednesday and today.
Just one game was played Wednesday because of winter weather conditions.
The tournament will resume Monday, picking up from Wednesday's games, starting at 1:30 p.m. Games scheduled today will be played next Tuesday. That pushes the semifinals back to Wednesday, Dec. 29, and finals to Thursday, Dec. 30, according to tournament committee members.
A 50-12 run spanning most of three quarters propelled two-time defending Northeast Arkansas Invitational champion East Poinsett County past Black Rock 56-30 in Wednesday's A-AA second round at the Convocation Center.
It was a quick ending to the day, however, as the noon senior boys' game was the only one played out of the seven scheduled Wednesday. No girls' games were played because of inclement weather.
Spencer Harston scored 19 points and drained three 3-pointers to lead EPC (9-3).Ked Madden added 14 points off the bench for EPC.
Brandon Sturdivant contributed 10 points for EPC. Jeremiah Sloan was the only Zebra in double figures, scoring 10 points for Black Rock (8-10).
EPC led 35-20 at the half and were up 54-22 in the fourth to invoke the 30-point mercy rule.
Trumann's Logan Dungan spent hours of spare time researching and updating team and individual statistics to compile a booklet about the NEA tournament titled "Then and Now."
Dungan published 400 copies of the booklet for the boys' tournament, dating to its inception in 1947, and 100 of the girls' copies dating to 1977 and is selling them at the NEA. Boys' booklets cost $10 and the girls are $5.
The booklets contain year-to-year recaps, team totals such as most games played, most wins, most titles and highest winning percentage.
Individual honors recognized include top-game scorers, top tournament scorers, 3 and 4-time All-NEA picks and all-decade teams. Dungan updated all team and individual statistics, going through old scorebooks and stories archived at the library.
Few remember that Hickory Ridge captured the first-ever boys' title at the NEA in 1948 at Arkansas State's old PE building.
The first tournament included 16 teams in one division but bad weather forced Wynne and Searcy to forfeit opening-round games.
Hickory Ridge upset Oxford 29-28 in the semifinals and edged Trumann 41-38 in the championship.
The initial plans for the tournament were to invite 16 top-ranking teams from a 100-mile radius of Jonesboro for a 3-day tournament called the Arkansas State College High School Invitational Tournament.
Admission was set at 35 cents and 60 cents, with all profits divided among the participating teams.
Jonesboro leads the boys' tournament in titles (14) and overall wins (86), but the top-seeded Hurricane hasn't won the crown since 1998.
Twenty-three boys' teams have won both the NEA and the state championship in the same year, including EPC, which captured both last season. In 1991-92, BIC defeated Bay to win the A-B division title, then topped the Yellowjackets again in the Class A state final.
Blytheville (23) and JHS (17) have been in the most finals and could meet again this year.
Nettleton's Jerry Rook is still tops in individual tournament scoring, pouring in 129 points in four games in 1960-61. Buffalo Island Central's Brooks Taylor is the only player in the last 15 years to top the 100-point mark, scoring 103 points in four games last year.
Forrest City basketball coach Dwight Lofton received an early Christmas present today.
It was delivered via a phone call from his brother, who told him that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had the Mustangs picked to win the AAAAA-East Conference.
Merry Christmas.
"Man, I'm shocked," Lofton said upon learning the news. "I wish I could come up with a Bill Clinton-esque way to maneuver out of this but I am at a loss for words right now. It's just a little added pressure"
Lofton's Mustangs began the season with high expectations and so far, have not disappointed the local fan base. The Mustangs are 7-1 -- the best start for a Mustang team since Lofton took over in 1996.
The Mustangs have defeated Little Rock central twice -- by 20 on the Tigers' home floor -- downed Marianna, ranked No. 2 in Class AAAA, and defeated Lanier, Mississippi's top team - at the Rumble on the Ridge.
Forrest City is set to take on Marianna Monday in a rematch and then will open at the Marianna Classic tournament later in the week.
"Tell me Marianna is not looking forward to Monday," Lofton added. "Beating them by one in overtime on our floor and now we go there, just after being picked to win our conference. And you can bet they will have us again at the tournament."
Once again, Merry Christmas.
The Mustangs have been led by sophomores Marcus Britt and Stephon Weaver and returning seniors Chris Williams, Taurus Moore and Sherman Allen.
Forrest City has made the Class AAAAA state tournament consistently under Lofton, but have not not gotten past the first round. Forrest City finished 15-12 a year ago overall and fourth in the East.
With 90 victories to date, Lofton has a chance to pick up his 100th win this year at Forrest City.
CHARLESTON --The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots rebounded from Monday's opening loss against Charleston to down Danville 68-47 Tuesday at the Hug Chevrolet Classic at Charleston.
Danville got to the foul line more times than the Patriots did, but failed to make the most of their opportunities.
Danville (4-2) sank 27-of-51 from the line but hit just nine field goals while the P-W boys (6-3) were 16 of 26 from the foul line.
In other boys games Tuesday, it was Charleston 76, Carlisle 54 and Parkers Chapel 60, Hughes 57.
Hampton junior Goldie White scored 18 points in just three quarters of play to lead the Lady Bulldogs to the lopsided 51-32 win over P-W's Lady Patriots.
It was the second loss for the P-W (6-3), who lost to Charleston 60-29 on Monday.
The Lady Bulldogs (7-2) led 47-19 after three quarters and quickly built a 30-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
In other girls' games played Tuesday, it was Danville 48, Parkers Chapel 21 and Carlisle 64, Charleston 55.