FORT SMITH -- It almost didn't end well for Conway, but six free throws in the final 49 seconds allowed the Wampus Cats to hold off Fort Smith Southside 68-59 at Southside Gym on Tuesday night.
Conway (12-8, 4-3) led 55-33 with two minutes left in the third quarter. With 1:31 left in regulation, the Mavericks had climbed to within 60-53. Ike Moore scored nine points in the final quarter for Southside to lead the comeback.
"We played some guys who have not played much this season trying to get them in the game," Wampus Cats Coach Will Johnson said. "We subbed our guys back in, and we knocked down some free throws at the end."
Kendarious Smith, who scored a game-high 18 points, drove the length of the floor for a layup with 1:19 left to increase the lead to 62-53. Travis O'Bannon and Junior Williams put the game away with the free throws in the final minute.
The two teams will play each other again Friday at Conway.
"The one thing we have to stop against Southside is how they attacked the rim in the second half," Johnson said. "We have to close that off. We also have to do a better job closing out the game."
Smith scored 14 points in the first three quarters as the Wampus Cats built their lead.
"When he is scoring for us, we seem to get in a good rhythm offensively," Johnson added. "When the post players are getting baskets, it seems to open up a lot of things for everyone else."
Blake Bradshaw added 10 points for Conway. Taye Gatewood paced Southside with 13 points, while Moore and Zion Releford each added 12.
The Wampus Cats used a 12-2 run in the final 2:32 of the first half to open up a 35-23 halftime advantage.
Conway led 17-10 after one quarter, but the Mavericks opened the second quarter with an 8-2 spurt that was capped by Moore's layup to get within 19-18 with 4:44 left in the half.
Smith scored seven of Conway's final 12 points of the half, including consecutive baskets in the final 30 seconds, to give the Wampus Cats the 12-point halftime advantage.
CONWAY (68)
Milton 1 4-4 6, Stone 1 0-0 3, Petrucelli 3 0-1 7, Ashby 0 0-0 0, Taylor 0 0-0 0, Lowe 0 0-0 0, Smith 7 4-6 18, Clardy 0 0-2 0, Williams 1 5-6 8, Bradshaw 4 2-3 10, O'Bannon 2 2-2 7, Fulton 1 0-0 3, Maull 3 0-0 6. Totals 23 17-24 68.
FS SOUTHSIDE (59)
Jackson 1 2-4 4, Gatewood 6 1-2 13, Moore 4 3-4 12, Solomon 0 2-6 2, Simpson 1 0-0 2, Hamilton 0 0-0 0, Jones 0 0-0 0, McLellan 3 0-0 8, Releford 5 0-0 12, Smith 2 0-0 6, Keller 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-16 59.
Conway (12-8) 17 18 20 13 -- 68
FS Southside (6-13) 10 13 16 20 -- 59
Three-point goals -- Conway 5 (Stone, Petrucelli, Williams, O'Bannon, Fulton), FS Southside 7 (McLellan 2, Releford 2, Smith 2, Moore). Team fouls -- Conway 17, FS Southside 21. Fouled out -- Moore.
Sports on 02/01/2017