Mustangs’ state title bid ends with loss to eStem

Forrest City’s 2024-25 prep basketball season ended Wednesday in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament being played at Magnolia. The end came much sooner than expected for the Forrest City Mustangs, tagged as one of the four top seeds into the tournament as well as one of the top three Class 4A teams favored to win it all and expected to bring home the school’s third basketball title. Bringing a 27-2 record into the state tournament, the Mustangs were eyeing a Wednesday first round state tournament game set against eStem, which included 22 consecutive victories, dating back to November against just two season losses, the Mustangs needed just three more victories to bring back the school’s third state basketball title, to go along with the 2014 and 2016 titles. From Thanksgiving on, the Mustangs won everything in their path. Waiting in the wings for their shot, eStem got it, well 27 such shots from one of five Mets shooters which helped send the first-round game into overtime and ending in a four-point win over the Mustangs. The two teams ran across each other early in the season, facing each other at a team camp. Wednesday’s game was no team camp game, the Mets were for real in finishing off Forest City’s season with an 82-78 overtime win and padding their overall season record to 25-12, going two and two in their final four tournament games. Bryce McElroy led the Mets with 27 points in the win over Forrest City. Teammate Michael Stewart tossed in 12 points for eStem while Xavier Walker provided 12 points in victory. Moving on, eStem will next face either Ozark or Camden Fairview on Friday in the 8:30 p.m. semifinals. There were no Forrest City team stats available. In other state basketball games played this week, the host team Magnolia Panthers survived a first-round scare from opening opponent and fourth seeded Shiloh Christian, taking a 51-49 win on their home floor.

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