Mavericks hold off Mounties

ROGERS — Rogers High made a couple of late charges at Fort Smith Southside, but the Mavericks hit four-of-four free throws in the final 62 seconds to hang on for a 68-61 win Tuesday night at King Arena.

Rogers (1-1) cut a ninepoint fourth-quarter deficit to one possession with 1:14 left, but Taye Gatewood hit two free throws and added a transition layup late to help the Mavericks put away the win.

Southside coach Charlie Cooper was pleased with how the football players came in and made big contributions, despite being with the team only a short time. Gatewood was the Mavericks’ quarterback this season.

“I thought they did a good job guarding tonight,” Cooper said. “Taye had some big buckets and Ike Moore did well. We’ve gotta work on our defense because we’re fouling too much. Very positive. These guys haven’t had a lot of positives from last year, so that’s a big plus for them.”

Ike Moore poured in a game-high 21 points, including eight points in a 9-1 run that gave Southside (2-0) a 50-40 lead with less than two minutes left in the third quarter.

Gatewood and 6-3 senior Dillon Hamilton chipped in 15 points each for the Mavericks.

Sophomore Drew Miller led Rogers with 18 points, while Will Voigt and Baylor Lacewell added 12 each.

Rogers coach Lamont Frazier said the biggest problem for his Mounties was a dismal 18 of 32 free throws, including 9 of 18 in the second half.

“To me that’s the game, if I had to put the game on the line the guys who were shooting them would have been the one’s,” Frazier said. “That happens. The good thing about what we’re facing right now is I think these guys have a short-term memory. We need to learn from this and grow from this and eventually get it behind us.

“Late in the game when we had it a three a couple times, we let something slip away. Then it’s back five. It’s back six. Right now that locker room over there, they’re in pain. They felt like they were good enough to win the game.”