Greyhounds Claim Region 2 Championship
HARRISON, ARK- The top-seeded ASU Mid-South Greyhounds walked into a hostile environment Saturday night and walked out champions.
Facing a true road atmosphere on the home floor of North Arkansas College in Harrison, the Greyhounds overcame a sluggish offensive start to defeat the Pioneers and capture the Region 2 Tournament championship.
North Arkansas fed off its home crowd early, jumping on ASU Mid-South before the first media timeout. The Pioneers were sharp on both ends, attacking the rim and knocking down perimeter shots to seize early momentum as the Greyhounds struggled to find their rhythm.
But as they have all season, the Greyhounds settled in.
Defensive stops began to fuel the offense, and ASU Mid-South slowly chipped away at the deficit. The turning point of the first half came late when Taylor Conner calmly sank a pair of free throws to give the Greyhounds their first lead of the night. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle to the buzzer, with neither side able to create much separation. ASU Mid-South carried a narrow three-point advantage into the locker room, setting the stage for a thrilling final 20 minutes.
The second half delivered everything a championship game should.
North Arkansas wasted no time erasing the deficit, tying the contest at 44 as both offenses kicked into high gear. What followed was a heavyweight fight in every sense — two teams trading baskets, defensive stops, and momentum swings in front of an electric crowd.
Midway through the half, the Greyhounds began to create a sliver of breathing room. Big shots from Randy Emerson — including a pair of clutch three-pointers — helped push the lead to double digits. But the Pioneers refused to go quietly.
Behind Jaxon Berry's relentless effort, North Arkansas clawed back within four in the closing minutes. Berry led the Pioneers with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Marquise Burse added 14 off the bench. Na'Kylan Starks filled the stat sheet with 12 points and nine assists, and KJ Nichols chipped in 10.
Still, the Greyhounds had answers.
With the lead trimmed and the clock winding down, Hugh McFarland stepped to the line and delivered the biggest shots of the night. His pair of free throws pushed the advantage to six with just under nine seconds remaining. North Arkansas got off one final three-point attempt, but it was off the mark. As the horn sounded, the Greyhounds celebrated at midcourt — Region 2 champions on their opponent's home floor.
McFarland led all scorers with 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in a championship performance. Conner added 14 points and seven boards, Emerson finished with 13, Jaxson Yancy scored 10, and Dejavius Johnson contributed nine in a balanced team effort.
After the game, the Greyhounds' head coach Cody Hastings said he was "excited and more proud of the effort of our guys — not just tonight, but throughout this tournament and the entire month of February. They've continued to fight, stay together, and believe in one another. That's what championship teams do. You don't play 12 games in 27 days and win 11 of those if you don't have a group who feeds off each other. We've had different guys take turns stepping up. This team has been an absolute blast to coach and be around. I'm just so thankful that we still have more basketball to play."
With the win, ASU Mid-South advances to the next stage and will host North Central Missouri College on Friday, March 6. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., with a berth to the national tournament on the line.