MAVERICKS LOOKING TO EXTEND MOMENTUM TODAY AGAINST CABOT

Conway boys basketball coach Brian Longing contended after Friday’s 59-52 loss to Southside that the Wampus Cats had enough good looks that could have led to a victory. He’s probably right, too. Senior Blake Bradshaw, who had a decisive height advantage over the Mavericks’ Dillon Hamilton, stopped making fourth-quarter baskets. He wasn’t the only one who stopped scoring. On this night, the Mavericks — who’ve had their share of unkind bounces near the rim this season — were the recipient of some shots that found their mark. Hamilton, Ike Moore, Taye Gatewood, Tyrese Solomon, Jordyn Jackson and Jaylin Coleman did more than enough offensively to power Southside to a game-ending 24-10 scoring run. The Mavericks’ victory gives them some momentum heading into today’s 7:30 p.m. home clash with Cabot. “We’ve had three or four games where we’ve been in them and just didn’t make plays at the end,” senior Ollis Brewer said. ”(Against Conway), we were able to make plays at the end.” Momentum isn’t free. “This is big, especially being down that much to a contender,” Brewer said. Since starting the 7A-Central race with blowout losses to Conway (lost by 24), Cabot (lost by 18) and North Little Rock (lost by 27), the Mavericks have won three of five games to pull within a game of Conway. A win over Cabot today, coupled with a Conway loss to North Little Rock, would leave the Mavericks tied with the Wampus Cats in the standings. Cabot’s 2-0 against the Mavericks this season, a 61-43 win Dec. 2 and last month’s 68-50 conference win. Girls coach Steve Brown will take points from wherever he can get them. Last Friday against Conway, junior Melanie Rice scored a career-high 18 points in the team’s loss to the Lady Wampus Cats. The 18-point burst would go a long way against anyone save Conway, Northside or North Little Rock, three of the premier 7A teams in Arkansas. “She knows how to use her body,” Brown said. “I’ve been waiting on her to do something like that; to get hungry and figure it out. That’s a good sign.” Before last week, Rice’s next highest point total was eight. “I was very proud of the way she stepped up,” Brown said. “I hope that will get her going in the right direction.”

MAVERICKS LOOKING TO EXTEND MOMENTUM TODAY AGAINST CABOT

KEVIN TAYLOR

Times Record | 2/6/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Fort Smith Southside High School Athletics