FORT SMITH — Sydney Crockett hit 2-of-4 free throws in the final half minute to preserve a 54-49 Fayetteville victory at Fort Smith Southside Gym on Friday in nonconference girls basketball action.
The Lady Rebels (5-2) nearly overcame 26 turnovers.
Fayetteville (3-2) nearly lost because of 10-of-22 shooting at the free-throw line.
“Drew Jones bothered us a lot in the lane,” Fayetteville coach Vic Rimmer said. “We usually fi nish those shots and she bothered us enough to miss some easy shots. She’s such an athletic, long kid. We made some poor decisions around the basket.”
Fayetteville converted over half of the Lady Rebels’ turnovers into 17 points.
“A lot of those were unforced,” Southside coach Sherry White said. “If they were causing them, that would be one thing, but most of those were not caused by them.”
Southside trailed 6-0 quickly, thanks in part to five turnovers in its first six possessions. The poor start seemed to haunt the Lady Rebels all night.
They caught up late in the first and actually led 14-12 early in the second quarter.
The game was tied at 34 after three quarters, and every time Fayetteville appeared to have the game under control, Southside seemed to fi ght to within one or two points.
“We didn’t play like we were ahead,” Rimmer said. “We made some aggressive errors, which I told the kids I don’t mind. But a lot of those (Southside) turnovers were because of us, too.”
Southside trailed 46-39 when Tiffany Spicer and Drew Jones sparked an 8-2 run that narrowed Fayetteville’s lead to one.
But DaShundra Morgan nice drive through the paint gave the Purple Dogs a 50-47 lead with 1 minute, 11 seconds to play.
Jones, who sat for much of the second and third quarter with foul trouble, scored to cut Fayetteville’s lead to 51-49 with 34.1 left.
But Crockett hit two of the next four free throws to ice it.
BOYS
FAYETTEVILLE 52, SOUTHSIDE 33
Payton Willis hit two of the Purple Dogs’ three third quarter 3-pointers as Fayetteville pulled away.
Luke Renner led Fayetteville (4-3) with a game-high 15 points.
Southside (2-6) jumped ahead 10-5 thanks to 3-pointers from Alex Foree, Jordan Barlow and C.J. Moore. But Fayetteville outscored Southside 9-0 to end the fi rst quarter, and the Purple Dogs held a 23-18 halftime lead.
Willis added 13 and Blake Young had 10 for Fayetteville.