FAYETTEVILLE -- Springdale Har-Ber couldn't find many bright spots during its recent four-game 7A-West Conference losing streak.
Then with a flurry of clutch 3-pointers, big defensive stops and one end-to-end finish, the Wildcats quickly erased weeks of frustration with a bang. Har-Ber hung right with top-ranked Fayetteville every step of the way Tuesday, briefly seized control with a barrage of third quarter 3-pointers, then found itself in a battle down to the last possession.
Boys
Springdale Har-Ber 61, Fayetteville 60
Springdale Har-Ber^13^15^22^11^—^61
Fayetteville^14^18^13^15^—^60
Springdale Har-Ber (12-12, 5-6): Benson 19, Kaunitz 12, Perry 12, Garrett 7, King 4, Phillips 4, Taylor 3.
Fayetteville (21-3, 10-1): Willis 20, Carlson 13, Breathitt 12, Brown 11, Roth 2, Wymer 2.
Girls
Fayetteville 65, Springdale Har-Ber 48
Springdale^21^9^14^4^—^48
Fayetteville^16^15^20^14^—^65
Springdale Har-Ber (14-11, 4-7): Higgins 11, Collins 9, Mains 8, Whaley 6, Shannon 4, Smith 3, Brown 3, Hornor 2, Weber 2.
Fayetteville (18-6, 9-2): Holmes 13, Mayberry 13, P. Jones 12, Franklin 12, Morgan 5, Ratcliff 4, Breathitt 2, Spangler 2, Osborne 2.
After a pair of Spencer Brown free throws put the Bulldogs up by one with 11.2 seconds left, junior guard Avery Benson raced the length of the court and lobbed a perfect 5-footer over two defenders with 3.2 seconds left to give the Wildcats an improbable 61-60 upset victory at Bulldog Arena.
The win was one of the biggest for these young group of Wildcats, while the loss was the first in 7A-West Conference play for the Purple'Dogs.
"I was thinking about how much time was on the clock, and since I missed those free throws earlier and Zane had the really big blocks on the other end, I did the easy part really," Benson said. "I should have finished it earlier, but I was thinking just get a point up on the board. When I drove he gave me space and I just floated it up there soft and I trusted it."
Har-Ber (12-12, 5-6 7A-West) trailed just 32-28 at half, but hit 7 of 10 from 3-point range in the second half to keep the game nip and tuck. Tylor Perry nailed a trio of 3-pointers in a row during one third-quarter stretch, and Matthew Kaunitz also was key, finishing 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
"It's not like we didn't have a hand in their face. They just hit some big shots," Fayetteville coach Kyle Adams said. "This wasn't so much about what we didn't do. Har-Ber just played well."
The Bulldogs (21-3, 10-1) could never shake Har-Ber and even trailed by seven late in the third quarter. The final eight minutes turned into a defensive slugfest, with the Purple'Dogs scrapping and clawing just to go back and forth with the upset-minded Wildcats.
But even after Brown's free throws gave Fayetteville a late cushion, Benson was able to provide the final heroics.
A last-second heave by DeMaunte Youngblood from across fullcourt bounced off the rim to preserve the Har-Ber win.
"Everybody is going to talk about Avery's last shot, but this took everybody," Springdale Har-Ber coach Scott Bowlin said. "This is a big win for our program."
Payton Willis led Fayetteville with 20 points and Benson paced Har-Ber with 19.
Girls
Fayetteville 65, Springdale Har-Ber 48
Four different Lady Bulldogs scored in double figures and Fayetteville finally outlasted a pesky Springdale Har-Ber team deep in the second half, leaning on the strong all-around play of Pink Jones to pick up eighth consecutive win.
Jones finished with 12 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds and Jasmine Franklin added 12 points and 11 rebounds and the Lady Bulldogs broke open a close game as the second half wore on.
Lauren Holmes and Maya Mayberry added 13 points each for Fayetteville and Jacie Higgins led the Lady Wildcats with 11.
Sports on 02/17/2016