Northside captures championship title
FORT SMITH — It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for the Fort Smith Northside girls basketball program.
Saturday night, fighting back tears, Lady Bears Coach Rickey Smith said he felt like the late Merrill Mankin was with him in the closing seconds of his team’s 48-44 win over Greenwood in the finals of the Taco Bell Tournament of Champions at Southside Arena.
“Going into this tournament, we wanted to compete, that was our goal,” Smith said. “But we had some practices Monday and Tuesday where I wasn’t sure we were mentally ready to play in a tournament like this. But I’m really, really proud of our team.
“I have to think Coach Mankin had a lot to do with it.”
So does Haitiana Releford. Named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, Releford finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds Saturday night.
“This means everything,” she said. “We put dedication into our defense because he was our defensive coach. We took pride in our defense and wanted to do it for him.”
Mankin, an assistant coach for the Lady Bears, died suddenly on Thanksgiving Day. The longtime Fort Smith area coach had been one of Smith’s trusted assistants for the past few years.
“Coach Mankin did a lot for this program,” Smith said. “He was just kind of the rock. It was really, really hard to enjoy things. But I’m very proud of my kids and couldn’t be more proud of the way they stepped up. Greenwood’s a phenomenal club.”
The Lady Bears (9-0) led 9-1 at the start before Greenwood battled back to grab a 12-11 lead after one quarter. Greenwood’s Megan Gray got hot in the second quarter and, after swishing back-toback three-pointers, helped the Lady Bulldogs grab a 2419 lead.
Releford’s three-point play effort forced a 27-27 halftime score. It was close the rest of the way. Abby Summitt’s three-pointer with 3:06 left gave Greenwood its final lead 44-43.
The Lady Bears’ Khassidy Warr’s bucket with 2:38 gave the Lady Bears the lead for good at 45-44, then Releford’s free-throw with 38.6 left made it 46-44.
Greenwood’s Maddy Cartwright missed a running jumper at the buzzer.
Lady Bulldog Coach Clay Reeves has no reservations when it comes to beefing up his basketball schedule. This weekend’s tournament was no exception.
“Our players put us in positions to make the plays down the stretch,” Reeves said. “We had the shots we wanted, but sometimes those shots don’t go in. The thing that bothers you the most as a coach is when you don’t get the shots, and we got the shots we wanted, and all of the kids that got them are capable.
“But you’re not going to shoot a hundred percent. Northside’s got a good team, just like we have a good team. This will make both of us better.”
The Lady Bulldogs (7-2) have now played Conway, Northside, Ada (Okla.), and Tuttle (Okla.) They have upcoming dates with North Little Rock and Bentonville.
“We’re looking at the light at the end of the tunnel,” Reeves said. “Sometimes that road is rough getting there, but that’s what makes you better.”
Gray finished with 15 points on 5-of-12 three-point shooting. Cartwright added 11 points.
Along with Releford’s big night, Warr and teammate Erianna Gooden finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.