BENTONVILLE — Bentonville boys basketball coach Jason McMahan approved of the shot Austin Heard took to end Friday’s game.
But Fayetteville coach Kyle Adams preferred the result more.
Heard launched a running jumper in the lane with four seconds remaining, but the shot went off the mark. Fayetteville then took the rebound and escaped with a 33-32 victory over Bentonville in 7A-West Conference action before a boisterous Tiger Arena crowd.
Bentonville (13-11, 4-6) picked up its chance to win after Kile Gaines missed two free throws with 14.7 seconds remaining. Heard drove to his left into the middle of the lane, but his shot refused to fall and Fayetteville took off with the rebound.
“Austin did a great job of getting to where he took the shot,” McMahan said. “It was about a 10-12 foot shot. He had a decent look at the bucket, and that’s who you want taking a shot like that.”
The Purple’Dogs (13-11, 6-5) escaped with the win despite losing Jharee Fisher midway in the third quarter when he was called for two technical fouls and ejected from the game.
Fayetteville didn’t score again after Jawan Smith hit a layup with 5 minutes, 34 seconds remaining.
“It was unfortunate to lose Jharee,” Adams said of his senior, who will have to sit out of tonight’s makeup game against Fort Smith Northside. “He just lost his composure. We had a little adversity at that point, but we rallied.
“I couldn’t have been prouder of our defense. It was a total team effort, and we’re lucky to get out of here with a win.”
Smith’s basket capped a 10-0 Fayetteville run as Bentonville went almost eight minutes without scoring, and the Tigers didn’t hit a field goal in the final 9:50 of the game. The Purple’Dogs outburst turned a six-point deficit into their 33-29 lead.
“Our intensity picked up at that point,” Adams said. “We didn’t change a thing out there. I thought Davone Crawford came in and gave us a lift with his defense. He played hard, came up some steals and hit some layups.”
Bo Weber’s ended Bentonville’s dry spell when his two free throws made it 33-31 with 1:55 remaining. Heard then hit one of two from the line to make it a one-point game with 19.8 seconds left.
“A lot of that had to do with Fayetteville’s defense,” McMahan said. “They play a layered defense — what you see in the college and NBA game. If you get past the quick guards, they still have the height advantage to contest that last shot.”
No Fayetteville player finished in double figures, with Malik Fields’ nine points leading the Purple’Dogs. Heard had 16 points to pace Bentonville.
Fayetteville also took a 43-39 decision in the junior varsity’s boys game.
BOYS PREP BASKETBALL
7A-WEST CONFERENCE
FAYETTEVILLE 33, BENTONVILLE 32
Fayetteville 4 9 14 6 — 33
Bentonville 4 10 15 3 — 32
Har-Ber (13-11, 6-5): Fields 9, McCullough 6, Crawford 5, Paschke 4, Graves 4, Arnold 3, Smith 2.
Bentonville (13-11, 4-6): Heard 16, Weber 8, Copeland 2, Crenshaw 2, Smith 2, Roy 2.