Charging Wildcats blow past Grizzlies
6A-CENTRAL BOYS
NORTH LITTLE ROCK 77, FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE 45
FORT SMITH — Not since the 2005 Springdale football Bulldogs has an Arkansas high school team garnered so much attention.
Nationally ranked North Little Rock rolled to a 77-45 win over Fort Smith Northside at the Grizzlies’ unofficial Palace on North B Street on Tuesday night.
Unlike Gus Malzahn’s juggernaut Bulldogs 17 years ago, North Little Rock’s star-studded Charging Wildcats have had their challenges of late with a narrow 76-74 win over Little Rock Central two weeks ago and a 73-65 win at Bryant three weeks back.
Tuesday, the Grizzlies stunned the Charging Wildcats early, even prompting North Little Rock Coach Johnny Rice to put in some reserves for a spark.
“When they went out, the subs shortened what we were down,” Rice said. “It was just because they were playing hard. We’re trying to send a message. We know that those guys make us the best and the best we have out there. We’re not going to sit around and watch them stand around and go through the motions.”
It certainly worked as Nick Smith, Kel’el Ware and company rallied over the final 21/2 quarters to cruise to the win.
Trailing 26-20, the Charging Wildcats (21-4, 10-0) finished the first half with a 16-2 run over just three minutes to take e 36-28 lead.
“I’ve told the guys since August that teams are going to have us circled on the calendar, highlighted and a star next to it,” Rice said. “The first quarter, we just didn’t play hard. We didn’t play with any energy or with any urgency at all. The second quarter was a lot better.”
Northside was within 4433 early in the third quarter, but North Little Rock went on another scoring spree with 14 straight points over a four-minute stretch that ballooned the Charging Wildcats to a 58-33 advantage with 2:11 left in the quarter. Corey Washington had 10 of the points in the run, including a steal and a slam.
Smith and Ware, who were the ninth and 10th players in state history to be selected for the prestigious McDonald’s All-Star game in Chicago, combined for 33 points with Washington making three double-digit scorers with 18 points.
Smith, who’s signed with the University of Arkansas, had 17 points with six baskets in 12 attempts. He was 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Ware, who is headed to Oregon, had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks. He had five slams and was 8-of-10 shooting but missed all three attempts from the free-throw ine.
“We played with more urgency on the defensive end,” Rice said. “I told them during a timeout that I’m not worried about the offensive end and to pick it up on the defensive end. It’s amazing how those two go hand in hand.”
Northside (12-13, 5-5) jumped out energetically and enthusiastically to a 22-12 lead after the first quarter.
“I told them in the locker room that I was so proud of the energy the first two quarters,” Northside Coach Eric Burnett said. “They came out and played hard, but North Little Rock is so good; two McDonald’s All-Americans and they have some guys that know their role and play well.”
Savoy paced Northside with 13 points with Young chipping 11. Walker Catsavis had nine points.
GIRLS
NORTH LITTLE ROCK 55, FS NORTHSIDE 46
The Lady Charging Wildcats wiped out a deficit with a big fourth-quarter run for the win.
North Little Rock (20-3, 8-1) trailed 38-34 after three quarters before Amauri Williams opened the fourth quarter with a bucket off an offensive rebounds and a conventional three-point play that put the Lady Charging Wildcats up for good at 39-38 with 6:41 left.
Williams had 23 points and seven rebounds.
Northside (19-4, 6-4) was led by Yonni Releford, who had 20 points, including 12 in the first half when the Lady Bears held a 26-24 lead.
“The first quarter, we just didn’t play hard. We didn’t play with any energy or with any urgency at all. The second quarter was a lot better.” North Little Rock Coach Johnny Rice on his team’s turnaround in Tuesday’s victory over Fort Smith Northside