Basketball teams are not supposed to shoot as well on the road as they do at home but, on Friday night, the defending Class 7A State champion Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies hit 13 3-point shots in three quarters to build a lead that the home-standing Bryant Hornets could not match, despite converting 62 percent of their field goal attempts.
University of Arkansas commit Isaiah Joe hit six 3’s on his way to a game-high 26 points as Northside pinned a 70-52 loss on the Hornets and retained a share of first place in the 7A-Central Conference. The Grizzlies, now 7-1 in the league, were matched by co-leader North Little Rock, which eked out a 62-60 win over Little Rock Central.
Sometimes, you just have to tip your hat to your opponent.
“They were awesome,” acknowledged Bryant head coach Mike Abrahamson. “The only ones that I’m really upset about are the ones that came off of offensive rebounds, which was maybe about five of them, it seemed like.”
Thanks to a 25-21 rebounding advantage, which included 13 offensive boards, Northside shot 47 times to Bryant’s 34. And though the Hornets connected 21 times (for the 62 percent), Northside hit 24 shots including those 13 triples.
“Some of those 3’s were deep, contested,” Abrahamson noted. “They were phenomenal tonight and Isaiah Joe is just phenomenal. Give them credit.
“I thought, our kids, throughout the game, seeing that barrage of 3’s going in, some of them with us doing everything we can and they were still going in, our kids kept competing, kept battling,” the coach added.
“We have to rebound for an entire game if we’re going to have a chance against a team like that,” he said. “We have to take care of the ball for an entire game if we’re going to beat a team like that. Rebounding throughout the game — sometimes we looked awesome at it then there were possessions when they come flying in and they get it. We didn’t block out the way we needed to block out. And it’s easier said than done.”
The Hornets also suffered 14 turnovers to Northside’s eight. Six of the Hornets miscues came in the opening quarter when the Griz opened up a 17-6 lead.
“The turnovers in the first quarter, they really sting,” Abrahamson acknowledged. “You’ve got to play four quarters really solid against teams like that if you’re going to have a chance. We didn’t do that, but I am proud of their effort. I’m proud they didn’t give up.
“We’re going to try to use this to make us better, just like every other game,” he said. “As for now, we tip our hat to Northside and try to just keep moving forward and getting better.”
The Hornets visit Little Rock Catholic on Tuesday. Bryant is 13-8 overall and 4-4 in the league. They remained tied for third with Conway, which got upset by Fort Smith Southside Friday, 59-52.
Few of Northside’s 3’s came from right on the 3-point arc. They were 25 feet out and when Joe beat the buzzer to end the first quarter, it was at least a 35-footer than found nothing but net.
Noah Gordon came off the bench to hit a pair of treys in the opening period. In the second quarter, Anthony Travis Jr., drilled a pair of 3’s in the early stages.
Khalen Robinson, who had 16 points in the game, and Rodney Lambert, who finished with 12, scored early in the second quarter as the Hornets started to whittle on the lead.
Joe made a steal and a dunk but Wallace, after rebounding a missed free throw, got fouled and converted once. Moments later, Lambert drove for a bucket to make it 25-13.
The Hornets uncharacteristically foundered on the free-throw line, converting just 3 of 11.
Kentrell Jacobs hit a 3 but Wallace had a tip in then hit a short jumper off an inbounds pass to make it 28-17.
Again, however, Northside answered the challenge with a 3, this time by Javion Releford. Robinson nailed a triple in response, but the Grizzlies closed out the half with a basket from Travis and a 3 by Joe.
In the final minute, Wallace scored again to make it 36-22 at the half.
Already, Northside had hit 9 of 21 from 3-point range.
Bryant converted 7 of 8 shots from the field in the second quarter but lost ground. The Northside lead was 11 after one period and 14 at the half.
Often a second-half team, the Hornets made a bid at a comeback after Joe hit a driving jumper to extend the margin to 16.
Deron Canada, on his way to 10 points, hit a 3. Robinson canned a pull-up jumper in the lane then, off a steal by Robinson and Camren Hunter, Lambert attacked the rack and knocked down a running jumper.
Suddenly, the Hornets were within 9. But a 3 by Joe rekindled the Grizzlies’ offense.
“I noticed when we cut it to 9, they just said, ‘Give it to Joe and let him do his thing,’” Abrahamson observed. “And he can do that.”
Robinson hit a free throw, but Jacobs drained a 3. Hunter drove for a basket only to have Braylin McKinley add a free throw. In the final minute of the quarter, Joe hit a 3 and, after Lambert scored inside, canned another one to give the Griz a 51-34 lead.
That was the last 3 for Northside.
Bryant wouldn’t go away. The teams traded baskets. Canada and Robinson drained triples on either side of Jacobs’ bucket off the offensive glass, trimming the margin to 57-44. Joe added two free throws, but Canada drained another troika to make it 12-point game.
Northside’s 6-9 sophomore Jaylin Williams scored inside but Robinson bombed in another 3 that had the Hornets down just 61-50 with 3:31 to play.
Williams hit a free throw and Northside took a timeout at the 2:57 mark. Northside spread the floor on offense after a Hornet turnover and shot layups or free throws the rest of the way. Jacobs’ layup was countered by a drive from Lambert to keep Bryant within 64-52.
Moments later, however, Lambert suffered his fifth foul and Northside starting knocked down free throws.
The lead expanded over the final two minutes. Bryant had four free throws along the way, but converted just once.
GRIZZLIES 70, HORNETS 52
Score by quarters
FS Northside 17 19 15 19 — 70
BRYANT 6 16 12 18 — 52
GRIZZLIES (16-6, 7-1) 70
Releford 3-5 1-2 10, Travis Jr. 1-3 2-3 4, Joe 9-18 2-2 26, Jacobs 6-14 0-3 14, Williams 3-4 3-5 9, McKinley 0-0 1-2 1, Watson 0-1 0-0 0, Gordon 2-2 0-0 6, Meyers 0-0 0-0 0, Norwood 0-0 0-0 0, Keller 0-0 0-0 0, Slater 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-47 (51%) 9-17 (53%) 70.
HORNETS (13-8, 4-4) 52
Hunter 3-5 0-3 7, Robinson 6-9 1-2 16, Chumley 0-5 0-0 0, Lambert 6-7 0-0 12, Canada 3-5 1-4 10, Wallace 3-3 1-2 7. Totals 21-34 (62%) 3-11 (27%) 52.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 7-13 (Robinson 3-5, Canada 3-4, Hunter 1-3, Chumley 0-1), Fort Smith Northside 13-30 (Joe 6-13, Releford 3-5, Jacobs 2-9, Gordon 2-2, Watson 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant 14, Fort Smith Northside 8. Rebounds: Bryant 4-17 21 (Wallace 2-6 8, Canada 0-5 5, Chumley 2-1 3, Hunter 0-2 2, Robinson 0-2 2, Lambert 0-1 1), Fort Smith Northside 13-12 25 (Travis Jr. 3-1 4, Joe 2-2 4, Releford 1-2 3, Jacobs 3-0 3, Williams 1-2 3, McKinley 1-1 2, Gordon 0-2 2, Watson 1-0 1, Keller 0-1 1, team 1-1 2). Team fouls: Bryant 13, Fort Smith Northside 14. Fouled out: Bryant, Lambert.
