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By LUKE THOMPSON
Winfield Courier

For the second straight game in Chaparral, Arkansas City saw a big lead evaporate before a strong finish helped them advance to tomorrow's championship game.

The Bulldogs scored 11 straight points before giving up a late two to get a 61-50 win over Belle Plaine. When the going got tough for Ark City, Head Coach Ben Proctor's team turned to Jordan Fields. The senior didn't disappoint, scoring a team-high 14 points and creating some easy baskets for his teammates.

"He's a solid player and he's a solid kid," Proctor said. "We went to that 1-4 set and let him create off the dribble."

With under four minutes to play in the fourth quarter when he stole the ball at halfcourt and went in uncontested for a thunderous one-handed dunk to get the Ark City bench on its feet and give the Bulldogs a 50-44. But the Dragons still wouldn't go away. To the delight of a surprisingly loud Belle Plaine student section, Bryce Gooch scored inside with 2:17 left to cut the lead to 50-48.

On the ensuing possession, Gooch challenged Fields on a two-handed dunk attempt and made contact with ball and player, but the Bulldog star muscled the ball in before missing the free throw. The next time the Bulldogs got the ball, Darrell Freeman sealed the game by drilling a three to push the lead to seven with under a minute left.

Proctor was pleased to see his team finish strong for the second consecutive night. He said the Bulldogs had a couple games earlier in the season where they struggled down the stretch and it's important that his team has been able to turn that around.

Ark City was at a significant disadvantage in terms of height and tried to neutralize the taller Dragons by playing a compact 2-3 zone. But they didn't have much of an answer for Gooch, as the 6-6 forward scored 24 points and did most of his damage inside the paint.

"They were big and we talked about that going in," Proctor said. "We're small, and we're used to that."

Still, the Bulldogs managed to stay nearly even in the rebounding battle outplayed the Dragons on the perimeter and in transition with their superior quickness. Proctor was pleased with the way his team created some easy baskets in transition, although he conceded it did result in some turnover issues.

"We wanted to be able to push it but at the same time be in control," he said.

He also had some complaints about the Bulldogs' shot selection, but said that's something that can be fixed.

After Belle Plaine jumped out to a 4-0 lead, Ark City answered with an 8-0 run, setting the tone for a tight first half. In the second quarter, two free throws by John Miller pushed the lead to 30-22, but Belle Plaine was able to cut the lead to five at the break.

Fields' layup in transition capped a 6-0 run and gave Ark City what seemed to be a comfortable 44-32 lead with about 2:00 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Belle Plaine's man-to-man defense turned up the pressure to force some turnovers and Justin Jarman's three early in the fourth quarter completed a 10-0 run to cut the lead to two.

Both teams shot the ball well, especially in the first half, when Ark City made 11 of 24 shots and Belle Plaine made 11 of 25. The Bulldogs had a balanced effort from their starters, with Rohrs' nine points being the lowest output.

Proctor's team, now 6-4 on the season, will head back to Chaparral tomorrow night to face the winner of last night's game between Mulvane and Clearwater in the championship game at 6:00.

Ark City 18 14 12 17 61
Belle Plaine 15 12 10 13 50

Ark City (61)
Fields 14, Miller 12, Taylor Rock 12, Freeman 11, Rohrs 9, Kestian Harris 3. Totals 23-45 (FGs) 61.

Belle Plaine (50)
Gooch 24, Cooper Stewart 11, Kevin Jerrick 4, Austin Hunt 2, Josh Corbett 0, Justin Jarman 5, Jesse Wellman 4. Totals 20-58 50.

Rebounds -- Ark City 25, Belle Plaine 26. Turnovers -- Ark City 16, Belle Plaine 13. Fouled out -- Miller (4:20, 4th)