FAYETTEVILLE BASKETBALL Teams Eye Postseason

BULLDOGS, LADY BULLDOGS FINISH FINAL WEEK OF REGULAR SEASON

— For Fayetteville’s basketball teams, the final week of the regular season played out as its records indicated it should.

The Bulldogs (14-13, 7-7 7A-West) rallied late to beat visiting Springdale Har-Ber 55-48 on Tuesday. Fayetteville again fell behind Friday against Springdale High, but this time its rally fell short, and it lost 45-32 to finish conference play at .500.

The Lady Bulldogs (27-2, 13-1) won twice to clinch their fourth consecutive 7A-West title. They came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat Har-Ber 57-49 on Tuesday, and then routed Springdale High 63-31 on Friday.

PLAYS OF THE WEEK: Jawan Smith scored on a layup and then hit both free throws following an intentional foul late in the third quarter Tuesday, turning the tide against Har-Ber.

Emma Clay hit a difficult layup at the third-quarter buzzer Friday, and completed a three-point play that secured a sportsmanship-rule victory over Springdale High.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Malik Fields came off the bench to give life to a listless offense Friday.

Fields scored 10 points in the fourth quarter against Springdale, helping slice a 24-point deficit all the way down to 6.

Calli Berna scored 42 points in the two games to surpass 1,000 in her career. Berna is just the 19th Fayetteville player, boy or girl, to reach the 1,000-point club. She reached the mark in the first quarter against Springdale.

THE LINGO: “To win this league one time is a great feat. To have won it four consecutive times - and this group of senior, to have it won three (times] three - it’s just simply remarkable.” - Bobby Smith, girls coach

UP NEXT: The Fayetteville boys will play as the fifth seed out of the West in the Class 7A state tournament, and will take on Cabot on Wednesday. The Fayetteville girls have earned a top seed, and with it a first-round bye in the state tournament.

Sports, Pages 8 on 02/27/2011

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