Walker, Jonesboro Cardinals Sore to Region Final with 79-46 Win Over Forest Park Panthers
It would be Forest Park that would get on the score board first after #0 Sr. Coleman Marquez drew a shooting foul but only made one of the two free throws to make it a 1-0 lead however Jonesboro would score back to back baskets to go up 5-1. On the Cardinals next possession, #12 So. Dashaun Ellerbe would then hit another Jonesboro 3-point basket to lift the Cardinals to a 8-1 lead with 5:25 to go in the opening quarter. After an offensive foul by Forest Park, the Cardinals would get another 3-point basket from #23 Sr. MJ Walker (25 pts) as the Cardinals would go up 11-1 and force Forest Park to use a timeout with 5:00 to go.
As the quarter continued, the Cardinals would go on a 10-5 run to go up 21-6 with just under two minutes remaining in the quarter. Forest Park would manage to add to their point total before the quarter ended but it would only cut the Cardinals lead down to 12 as Jonesboro led 21-9. Almost two minutes would pass in the second quarter before either team scored but it was Jonesboro that would do so as Walker would drive to the basket for a 2-point basket and draw the foul. Connecting on the foul shot, the Cardinals would go up 24-9. The Panthers would begin to find the bottom of the basket but Forest Park’s defense had no answer for the Cardinal’s offense as Jonesboro would go into the half with 40-19 lead. As the third quarter would begin, the Cardinals would go on a 7-4 run to open up the period and go up 47-23 with 5:08 to go in the third as the Panthers would use their first timeout of the half.
Out of the timeout, the Cardinals would go up 51-23 after Walker connected on a 3-point basket and drew the shooting foul as he made the free throw giving Jonesboro a 51-24 lead. As the quarter continued, the Cardinals would find themselves leading 59-34 with :53 to go in the quarter and would go on to close out the quarter leading the Panthers 62-34. As the fourth quarter began, the Cardinals would go up by as many as 29 leading 69-40 with just under 5:00 to go in the final period of play. As the quarter continued, the Panthers defense could not find an answer to stop the offense of the Cardinals as Jonesboro would go on to win by a final score of 79-46. Walker lead all Cardinals with 25 pts followed by #22 Jr. Jamari Smith with 12 pts, while #1 Sr. Avery Wilson led all Forest Park players with 25 pts. The Cardinals will face Stephenson in the 6A Region 4 final.
