The Pine Bluff Zebras walked away from the Lake Hamilton Wolves to win the Class 5A State Title by a score of 67-51 Thursday night at the BankOZK Arena in Hot Springs.
The Z’s outscored the Wolves in ever quarter of the game, led by X’Zaevion Barnett’s 19 points, followed by Courtney Crutchfield’s 16 and Jordan Harris’ 13. Harris added four blocked shots and a steal to his total to help pace the Zebra’s.
Following the game head coach Billy Dixon said his team overcame a lot of adversity this year on their way to the 5A State Championship.
Dixon said this past week’s tragedy where a Pine Bluff student was shot and killed affected his team, and that was something they had to overcome as they entered this game.
Crutchfield was named MVP of the game, and he gave props to his teammates for helping him earn that honor.
Pine Bluff played a physical game that helped them to wear down Lake Hamilton. Several Lake Hamilton players looked exhausted late in the third quarter moving into the early stages of the fourth quarter. Dixon said that physicality is something his team wants to do.
The Zebras shot 58.7% on field goals while shooting 45.5% from behind the three-point line. Additionally, the Z’s show 53.3% from the charity stripe for the game while Lake Hamilton was 33.3% on field goals, 18.2% from behind the three-point line, and 68.8% from the free throw line.
The win gives Billy Dixon his first state championship as head coach of the Pine Bluff Zebras.
