Eagles beat Lee, clinch spot in Class 3A state tournament
Published 11:11 pm Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Porter’s Chapel Academy’s boys’ basketball team is heading back to the state tournament.
Lawson Selby and Ty Mack both finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, and Porter’s Chapel beat Lee Academy (Ark.) 52-39 in the second round of the MAIS Class 3A North State tournament on Wednesday.
PCA (16-7) advanced to the semifinals Friday at 7:45 p.m. vs. either Greenville Christian or North Sunflower Academy, and also clinched a spot in next week’s Class 3A state tournament.
The top four teams at the North State tournament advance, so PCA will move on regardless of its result in Friday’s semifinals or the consolation game on Saturday. The North State tournament is being played at Kemper Academy.
It’s the second year in a row that PCA will play in the state tournament, after not making it at all from 2013-21.
Jase Jung added 12 points and nine rebounds in the win over Lee Academy, and Noah Porter finished with nine points and five assists. The Eagles also had 12 steals as a team, and 11 assists on 17 made field goals.
Mack scored all 13 of his points in the first half, when PCA surged out to a 29-18 lead. Lee cut it to 37-35 heading into the fourth quarter, but only made one field goal in the final period.
Charlie Harvey led Lee Academy with 12 points.