On a roll : Bulldogs attempt to stymie Northside’s winning ways
Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/62182/
Prolonging its four-game win streak won’t be easy considering the three teams remaining on Fayetteville’s 7 A-West Conference slate.
“ There’s still a lot of season left to be played, ” said Barry Gebhart, Fayetteville coach. “ We talked about how everybody left on our schedule is a state tournament team. We need to be playing our best basketball, and I think we are. ”
The end-of-the-season stretch begins tonight against Fort Smith Northside (18-4, 9-2 7 A-West ), the hottest team in the conference. The defending Class 7 A state champions have reeled off nine straight wins after dropping their first two conference games.
The depth and athleticism spurring Northside’s run were evident during the Grizzlies’ 71-68 overtime win over Fayetteville earlier this year. Northside had a 19-12 advantage in second-chance points and made numerous forays to the basket.
Gebhart said the Bulldogs (16-6, 9-2 ) couldn’t match the Grizzlies’ energy level. Three Fred Gulley layups early in the fourth quarter gave Fayetteville its only lead, 51-49, with 6: 05 left in regulation. His season-high 28 points combined with Cable Hogue’s 16 points and 19 rebounds kept the Grizzlies within reach.
“ We couldn’t guard them at their place, ” Gebhart said. “ Not only could we not rebound, we just didn’t guard them. We’re either going to have to play a whole lot better defense than what we did or find a different defense to play.
“ They just beat us. It was a situation where they really came out with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. I felt like they got us on our heels right off the bat and we never really recovered. I felt like we were playing a step behind all night, and it was because how aggressive they were. ”
The Grizzlies’ depth forced Fayetteville to use its bench more than it had all season, convincing Gebhart to award his reserves with increased playing time. Distributing minutes more equally has helped Fayetteville win five of its last six games.
“ I think we learned from that, ” Gebhart said. “ Maybe that’s an example of learning from a loss. As a coaching staff, I think we learned some things and kind of extended our bench. It’s worked out well for us since then. ”
Beating Northside will give Fayetteville sole possession of first place in the conference standings, but a loss will put the Grizzlies on the pace in the league race. Northside would have a onegame advantage over Fayetteville while owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.
If that scenario shakes out, Fayetteville couldn’t control its own destiny. In addition to winning their final two regular-season games, the Bulldogs would need two Northside losses to lay claim to the conference crown.
“ It will be a challenge for us, ” Gebhart said. “ It’s something that I think our kids are looking forward to. I think our kids know if we don’t play well, we don’t have a chance. A lot of times that brings out the best in you. ”