Smackover faces stern test at regional

The last time Smackover qualified for the regional tournament, they advanced to the championship game.

The opposition for that game two years ago will also be the opponent for tonight’s first-round contest of the 4-3A Regional Tournament, as Smackover and Centerpoint collide with a berth in next week’s state tournament at stake.

Game time is set for 8:30 p.m. from Fordyce.

In the championship game two years ago, the Knights topped the Bucks 64-61.

Since then, Centerpoint added another regional title to their ledger in 2017, and the Knights (18-11) are the 7-3A’s No. 1 seed for this year’s tournament.

After a one-year hiatus, Smackover (6-18) is back in the regional tournament as the 8-3A’s No. 4 seed.

"Centerpoint is a well-disciplined team," said Smackover coach Reggie Turner. "They look for multiple ways to score out of their offense, and they do a good job of running it. They're very, very patient on that side of the ball."

But what makes the Knights a tough matchup is their defense.

"They play a totally different style of defense than any team in our league," Turner said. "They like to play the pack-line manto-man defense, and we haven't faced that all year long. It's a defense that can cause problems, especially if you're having trouble shooting.

“They want to wall the lane off and force you to shoot you over the top, and they do a good job of closing out hard on those kickouts.

“They're looking to take away anything at the rim, and they do a good job of rebounding out of it as well. They're a pretty well-rounded defensive team. On offense, we have to make sure we're patient and pick our spots."

So how will the Bucks counter the Knights’ defense? Turner said his team will try to force the tempo of the game.

"That's part of the plan," Turner said. "We'll play a little pressure defense to try to get them to speed up and get them out of their game and try to force some turnovers."

The Bucks qualified for the regional tournament by outlasting Lake Village, which came on the heels of a close win over Fordyce to close out the regular season.

Although the Bucks were ousted from the district tournament by Drew Central, Turner said he’s been pleased with his team’s play down the stretch.

"I was very proud of them for the way they finished those two games," Turner said. "Fordyce was kind of a grind-it-out win. We know how tough Lake Village is, and we knew it was going to be a tight game because they play so hard. Against Drew Central, I thought for the most part they played decent. It wasn't one of our best games, so hopefully we can get some things fixed before regional play."

If the Bucks are to upset the top-seeded Knights, Turner said his team must execute on offense.

"Being patient on offense is number one," Turner said. "We need to try and push the ball to try to offset that pack-line defense.

“We need to try and get back fast enough where they can't set the defense up and knock down open shots.

“We need to do a good job of getting to the rim and getting it inside whenever we can."