GRIZZLIES ROLL PAST LITTLE ROCK CATHOLIC

Coming off an impressive win at Little Rock Central, the last thing Fort Smith Northside coach Eric Burnett wanted from his team was a flat effort at home against Little Rock Catholic. His worries were proven unfounded as the Grizzlies dominated the Rockets 76-31 in at 7A-Central Conference boys game Friday at Kaundart Fieldhouse. "I told them we have not played at home in a month and a half and it would be a shame not to play well," Burnett said. "I just thought overall it was a good game for us." Northside forced 24 turnovers in the game, creating a lot of easy scoring opportunities. "They might throw one over our press and get a basket, but we were creating 10 points off turnovers and I will take that every time," Burnett said. "We were flying around and moving our feet defensively, we were rotating and we were rebounding." Burnett also praised his team's unselfish play on offense. "At halftime, I told them what made me feel good was the way they shared the ball with each other. When you share the ball, it makes you harder to guard and as a team, harder to beat." Twelve players scored for the Grizzlies, who made 11 3-pointers in the game. Javion Perry paced Northside with 21 points while Tevin Brewer added 18. The Grizzlies scored the first 10 points in the game, eight from Brewer, before Catholic got on the board on a Jack Mathis inside bucket midway in the quarter. Northside would lead 18-4 after a quarter. Mathis paced the Rockets with 13 points. The lead would extend to 44-14 at halftime thanks to a Grizzly defense that forced 10 second-quarter turnovers. Northside finished off the half with a 14-2 run in the final 4:42 of the second quarter as five different players scored. Perry scored 13 points in the third quarter and the lead ballooned to 66-24, invoking the running clock in the final quarter.

GRIZZLIES ROLL PAST LITTLE ROCK CATHOLIC

WALTER WOODIE

Arkansas Online | 1/14/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Northside Athletics