Springdale Dunks King Cotton Win

Bulldogs are fourth Arkansas team to take the tournament

Photos courtesy of the King Cotton Holiday Classic and Eric Burnett.

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By Mary Jordan
Springdale Public Schools

Isaiah Sealy closed Springdale High School’s run at the King Cotton Holiday Classic Dec. 30 with a defining dunk that toppled Bishop Ireton of Virginia 63-54 in the tournament’s finals at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.

“It feels great to win such a prestigious tournament,” said Jeremy Price, Springdale High School coach.

Sealy, a University of Arkansas signee, sealed the victory for the Bulldogs with a little more than a minute on the clock.

“The experience in itself was good for our team,” Price said. “We played against a team from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the first round, a team from Houston, Texas, in the second round and a team out of Virginia in the finals.”

The win was the end of an exciting three days of play for the Bulldogs (12-3), which allowed Springdale to join Magnolia, Russellville and North Little Rock as historical tournament victors.

“We are only the fourth Arkansas team to ever win the King Cotton Classic since it began in 1987,” Price said.

MVP Sealy had 24 points and nine rebounds, Jaxon Conley made 15 of his 19 points in the second half and Bulldog Cy Bates added 10 points and 12 rebounds to the board.

Springdale was 43.9% for the game, shooting 25 of 57, compared to 33.3% (17-of-51) for competing teams.

Bishop Ireton wasn’t idle, though, as Silas Devonish reaped 22 points, and Ripp Kodi took 12 points for Bishop Ireton (9-2).

The teams were almost an equal match for the initial two quarters of the game.

Springdale was behind 5-3 in the first quarter but was able to pull ahead of Bishop Ireton to take the lead.

The Bulldogs led 20-15 after Sealy made a three-pointer, but two free throws from Evan Brown began a run that provided the Cardinals with a 23-22 lead at the game’s half.

Conley made a trifecta of three-pointers in three minutes to allow Springdale to regain the lead, while Donte Jones nailed a 21-foot bucket to help the Bulldogs to a 38-32 gain.

Bishop Ireton wasn’t out of the game, however, and the Cardinals tied the game at 42-42 with a layup from Kodi. The Cardinals began the third quarter with a one-point lead with a free throw by Jake Bahr.

A 9-2 run put the game back in the Bulldogs’ court, but Devonish led a doomed final push for the Cardinals with three free throws that brought the Cardinals to 58-54 with a little more than two minutes on the clock.

Sealy sealed the win, however, with that resounding dunk shot that sparked a sideline celebration for the Bulldogs.

“My hope is that we can carry this momentum from the tournament into conference play and build on what we have already accomplished so far this season,” Price said. “I'm proud of what we've done, but we still have one more big tournament to win come March.”

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The Springdale Athletic Foundation enhances the quality of and interest in Springdale Public Schools athletics by procuring and providing the funds for facilities, equipment and staff development.

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