Semoball

Neelyville boys basketball vs. Thayer

Thursday, February 21, 2019
DAILY AMERICAN REPUBLIC/Nate Fields

VAN BUREN — Thayer jumped out to an early lead against Neelyville, and after that, it was a patient grind to the finish line. The top-seeded Bobcats earned a wire-to-wire 37-29 victory over the third-seeded Tigers. Thayer leaped out to an 11-4 lead early, and despite the Tigers’ best efforts, they could never get over the hump and take the lead in the game. “We knew the first two or three minutes of the ball game were going to be a factor for us,” Neelyville coach Patrick Morton said. “We really needed to get out to a good start. Obviously, Thayer got out to a little bit of a better start than we did. They’re just so disciplined and fundamental, and they rebound so well.”