NHS LADY BEARS FACE CONWAY IN 1 VS. 2 SHOWDOWN

On Tuesday night, the Northside Lady Bears can take a huge step toward securing the 6A-Central championship and the conference’s top playoff seed. In what may be the biggest regular season girls basketball game in Arkansas, the No. 1 ranked Lady Bears welcome No. 2 ranked Conway to Kaundart-Grizzly Fieldhouse. Northside (22-0, 10-0) stands in sole possession of first place, a game in front of Conway (22-3, 9-1). The lone conference defeat the Lady Wampus Cats suffered came on their home court to Northside, when the Lady Bears traveled to Conway last month and prevailed, 65-55. “Obviously, Conway is a super, super talented team,” Northside coach Rickey Smith said. “They can score from everywhere and they play with such an air of confidence; they shoot the ball from 30 feet. ... They’re just an explosive basketball club offensively. “Then they do a really good job trapping and pressing with their half-court defense that they can force you in a lot of turnovers, so it’s one versus two on your home floor for a conference championship, two weeks before the state playoffs, it doesn’t get a whole lot bigger than that; it’s a big ballgame.” A Conway win forces a first-place tie between the Lady Wampus Cats and Lady Bears, and the schedule could favor Conway the rest of the way, as Northside still has to travel Friday to North Little Rock, standing in third place in the 6A-Central. Conway has already played NLR twice, winning both games. “We’ve got two really, really tough ballgames,” Smith said. “If we can somehow find a way to win (Tuesday), it puts us two games up on (Conway) and it wouldn’t make as big a difference on Friday night. We’re all trying to obviously win a conference championship but also secure a first-round bye in the (6A) state playoffs, that one or two seed.” Smith also wants to have a big crowd in attendance for Tuesday’s showdown. “I do want to encourage as many fans as we can to get out (Tuesday) night and support the girls,” Smith said. “This is going to be as good a girls high school basketball game as there will be in the state of Arkansas and maybe for the entire year, and I think our kids deserve a great crowd, I really do. “The record they’ve had and the things they’ve accomplished this year. I don’t say this very often, but I do think our kids deserve a great crowd and the city of Fort Smith to come out and support us because we’re going to need it.” Grizzlies With four games remaining and the Northside Grizzlies three games back of 6A-Central leader Bryant, it is likely the conference title is out of reach for the Grizzlies. But Northside can still make a move toward finishing in second place and a first-round bye at the 6A State Tournament with a pivotal week of games in store, starting Tuesday at home against Conway. The Grizzlies (15-9, 6-4) stand in fourth place in the 6A-Central, while Conway (17-5, 8-2) is in second place, a game back of Bryant for first. Last Friday, Northside gained a measure of revenge by traveling to Little Rock and posting a 38-30 win against Catholic, which went to Kaundart-Grizzly Fieldhouse last month and spoiled the Grizzlies’ home opener. Derrick Perry led the Grizzlies in the win with 13 points while Jaylin Williams recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. This Friday, Northside travels to North Little Rock to face the Charging Wildcats, currently standing in third place in the conference.

NHS LADY BEARS FACE CONWAY IN 1 VS. 2 SHOWDOWN

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 2/12/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Fort Smith Northside High School Athletics