FORT SMITH — Fort Smith Southside didn’t want to share a conference championship with anyone, especially its crosstown rival.
Cameron Adams and Drew Miller combined for 37 points and Southside won the 7AWest championship outright by defeating Fort Smith Northside 62-50 on Friday at Arkansas-Fort Smith’s Stubblefield Center.
Southside (23-3, 12-2) captured its first league title since 1993 and will open Class 7A state tournament play at Rogers Heritage at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Adams scored 19 points and Miller 18 for the Rebels, who secured the victory by making 21 of 24 free throws.
“This is a great group of kids and they’ve played together for a long time,” Southside Coach Charlie Cooper said. “They love each other, and it’s been acoach’s dream to have a group like this.”
Southside burst to a 21-7 lead before Northside (15-13, 10-4) went ahead 31-29 in the third quarter after consecutive three-pointers by Biton Triplett. But Southside regained control behind Miller, who made two three-pointers and 10 consecutive free throws.
Miller, a senior, was born in 1993, the last time Southside won a league title.
“Drew’s one of those players that a lot of times you don’t see his name in the stats,” Cooper said. “But he does so many good things for this basketball team, and he’s had a great senior year.”
Northside could’ve earn a tie by beating Southside by at least three points, but the Grizzlies fell behind early and mostly struggled shooting the ball. Michael White finished with16 points while Dushaun Rice, the Grizzlies leading scorer, managed nine points on 4-of-22 shooting.
Northside was 6 of 22 from three-point range, and the Grizzlies made only 2 of 5 free throws.
“We’ve been down like that all year,” Northside Coach Eric Burnett said of the Grizzlies’ early deficit. “We knew Southside couldn’t keep shooting like that. They hit their free throws, and we couldn’t get to the line enough.”
Northside still had a chance when White made a threepoint to cut the Southside lead to 41-38 in the fourth quarter. But Southside regained control behind Miller, who hit a three-pointer and added four consecutive free throws. The Rebels put the game away by making 10 consecutive free throws in the final 2:04.
FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE (50) Bray 1 0-0 2, Jones 3 0-2 6, D. Jones 0 0-0 0, M. Stephenson 2 0-0 5, B. Stephenson 0 0-0 0, Berard 3 0-1 6, Burns 0 0-0 0, Rice 4 0-0 0 9, White 6 2-2 16, Church 0 0-0 0, Triplett 2 0-0 6. Totals 21 2-5 50.
FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (62) Nolte 0 0-0 0, Adams 6 7-9 19, Meares 1 0-1 2, Miller 3 10-10 18, Harris 1 0-0 3, Henning 1 2-2 4, Massey 5 0-0 10, Hawley 2 0-0 4. Totals 19 21-24 62.
Fort Smith Northside ........7 15 11 17 - 50 Fort Smith Southside ....... 21 5 15 21 - 62 Three-point goals - Northside 6 (White 2, Triplett 2, M. Stephenson, Rice), Southside 3 (Miller 2, Harris). Team fouls - Northside 17, Southside 11.
GIRLS
FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE 73, FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE 50
Chauntel Terry scored 27 points to help Northside (25-3, 13-1) defeat Southside (15-11, 8-6) and earn a share of the 7A-West Conference championship with Fayetteville.
Northside will enter the Class 7A state tournament as the No. 2 seed from the 7AWest and play Thursday at 7 p.m.
Terry had 15 points in the first half, when Northside jumped to an 11-0 lead. Southside pulled to within 19-14 after two three-pointers by Kaley Moore, but Terry answered with two inside baskets to help Northside to a 27-17 lead at the half.
Ryneka Church finished with 15 points for the Lady Bears while Emilie Gray had 13 to lead the Lady Rebels.
FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE (73) Rogers 0 0-0 0, Caldwell 0 0-0 0, Church 5 3-3 15, Myers 1 0-0 2, Alexander 1 0-0 2, Simpson 2 3-4 7, Cummings 1 0-0 2, Fleming 0 0-0 0, Blocker 0 0-0 0, Terry 11 4-5 27, Bell 4 4-5 12, Green 0 0-0 0, Lee 0 0-0 0, McKay 3 0-0 6, Ware 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 14-17 73.
FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (50) Hamilton 0 0-0 0, Hines 0 0-0 0, Hart 0 0-0 0, Moore 4 1-2 12, Roebuck 0 0-0 0, Woolsey 0 0-0 0, Briggs 3 2-2 10, Clement 0 0-0 0, T. Hamilton 0 0-0 0, Kimbrough 0 0-0 0, White 4 0-0 10, Jones 2 1-2 5, Geren 0 0-0 0, Gray 5 3-4 13, Ross 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 7-10 50.
Fort Smith Northside ....... 15 12 22 24 - 73 Fort Smith Southside ........5 12 15 18 - 50 Three-point goals - Northside 3 (Church, Terry), Southside 7 (Moore 3, Briggs 2, White 2). Team fouls - Northside 9, Southside 15.
Sports, Pages 19 on 02/26/2011