MAGNOLIA — Derrian Ford cemented his legacy Monday afternoon.
Ford shot over two defenders and buried a deep three-pointer with 4.1 seconds left to lift Magnolia to a 59-56 win over Mills in the semifinals of the Class 4A state tournament before a standing-room-only crowd at Panther Arena.
Magnolia earned its third state championship game appearance in Ford's four-year career and will play at Hot Springs' Bank OZK Arena at 7:45 p.m. Saturday against Blytheville. The Panthers won the Class 4A title in Ford's freshman year in 2019 and were to have played Mills in the 2020 title game before the coronavirus pandemic forced the game to be canceled.