WEST POINT – Foul trouble kept Russellville center Austin Stidham from making an impact in the first half of the 5A, Area 14 championship game with the West Point Warriors Friday night.
It became a different story in the second half. Stidham scored four times in the paint in the fourth quarter and was a key figure in sending the Golden Tigers back home with the area championship, defeating the Warriors by the final score of 68-61.
His four shots from near the basket were valuable for the Golden Tigers to go on a 19-12 run in the final 8:00, snap a 49-49 tie and keep the Warriors from repeating as area champions.
West Point got behind 27-18 late in the second period then regrouped to finish the quarter on a 15-4 run and take the lead at halftime, 33-31, when Brandon Farley tipped in a missed shot right before the horn sounded.
The Warriors got a lift from 3-point shooting by Cameron Moore in the third period and used a couple of free throws by Tanner Rusk after a Russellville technical foul was called on guard Avery Sears.
West Point would move the advantage to 49-40 as Russellville answered with nine consecutive points before the period concluded.
The Golden Tigers took the lead to start the fourth and stayed ahead for much of the stanza. A 57-56 advantage around the 4:00 mark grew to 60-56 with the Warriors unable to mount a comeback that they desperately needed.
Stidham scored his fourth field goal late in the quarter, and a layup by Josh Seal with less than 30 seconds remaining was enough for the Golden Tigers to beat the Warriors for the first time.
West Point had posted wins in the regular season by scores of 69-62 at Russellville and 55-51 at home to get the area tournament under its comfort of Jim Boyd Gymnasium.
Russellville allowed West Point's Seth Parker one field goal in the second half after he burned them for 15 points through the initial 16:00.
The Golden Tigers also clamped down on Rusk, changing personnel to guard him on different possessions, allowing the senior one field goal in the final half. Rusk was affected by the pressure as he missed six of 14 free throws on the night, two late in the fourth quarter.
Adonnis Bailey led Russellville with 20 points, scoring 10 in the third period. Seal accounted for 18 with Stidham hitting for 11 after a scoreless first half.
Parker and Moore popped in 17 for West Point, who is 15-13 on the season. Rusk got 15 in his final home game, with Farley and Andrew Shaw scoring four and Alex Hernandez and Kobe Smith two each.
The Warriors will have to play at Columbia in Huntsville Tuesday in the Sub-Regional with the winner to move on to the Northwest Regional at Wallace State Community College Feb. 20.
