| Date of Event | March 8, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Primary Location | Bank OZK Arena, Hot Springs |
| Key Entities | Pine Bluff Zebras; Benton; Lake Hamilton |
| Outcome/Score | Pine Bluff 68, Benton 63 (2024); Pine Bluff 67, Lake Hamilton 51 (2023) |
Pine Bluff High School beat Benton 68-63 on March 8, 2024, to win the Class 5A boys state basketball championship at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. It was the Zebras’ second straight state title.
Pine Bluff outscored Benton 16-9 in the fourth quarter. The Zebras finished 24-6, and Benton finished 29-5, according to the Pine Bluff Commercial and KTLO. Billy Dixon coached Pine Bluff.
The title was Pine Bluff’s 15th. It was the program’s first back-to-back championship since three straight from 1933 to 1935, the Commercial reported.
A year earlier, on March 9, 2023, Pine Bluff beat Lake Hamilton 67-51 in the 5A final in Hot Springs. That win was the Zebras’ third over their 5A-South Conference rival that season and the school’s first state title since the 2015 Class 6A crown.
Pine Bluff Class 5A State Finals
- 2024: Pine Bluff 68, Benton 63
- 2023: Pine Bluff 67, Lake Hamilton 51
Where to Check Basketball Results
- Arkansas Activities Association: (501) 955-2500
- Pine Bluff High School athletics: school office
More results: Southeast Arkansas basketball.
Sources: pbcommercial.com; ktlo.com; pbcommercial.com; thv11.com.
