Pointer sparks Jonesboro

Jonesboro Coach Wes Swift had to draw up a new a game plan on game day. It worked.

Playing without center Aaron Washington, who was injured Friday, Jonesboro leaned on junior guard Marquise Pointer in a 65-61 victory over the Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies on Saturday night in the Arkansas Hoops Challenge at Maumelle High School.

“With losing Aaron Washington last night, to beat Fort Smith Northside without our inside presence was just great,” Swift said. “I’m just really proud of my guys right now.”

Northside was within 60-59 on junior guard Tyler Triplett’s rebound layup with 27 seconds left.

Jonesboro responded with a stall, but it was interrupted when Pointer was fouled while scoring on a layup. He hit the free throw to giveJonesboro a 63-59 lead with 14.2 seconds left.

“I thought [Pointer] played a great game tonight,” Richardson said. “He made some big plays.”

Northside senior guard Jace Richardson put back a missed three-pointer to cut Jonesboro’s lead to 63-61, but just 4.7 seconds remained.

Northside failed to steal Jonesboro’s subsequent inbound pass, and senior guard Kenyatae Woods drove for a layup at the buzzer.

Pointer led Jonesboro with 23 points. Senior guard Kahron Ross scored 19.

Richardson led Northsidewith 18 points, and Woods added 12.

Neither team led by more than four points in the first half, until Jonesboro junior guard Jarma Perkins hit three-pointers on two consecutive possessions to give Jonesboro a 26-19 lead with 1:02 left in the second quarter.

“[Perkins] has kind of struggled this year, but he knows his role, and he played it well tonight,” Swift said.

A layup on by Triplett on Northside’s final first-half possession left Jonesboro (5-1) with a 26-21 lead at halftime.

Northside’s first lead came on a three-pointer by Richardson. Senior forward Alberto Steward hit two free throws, giving Northside (5-3) its largest lead at 43-39 with 47 seconds left in the third quarter.

“Jonesboro did a good job,” Northside Coach Eric Burnett said. “They made the plays when they had to. But we have to wake up and start playing basketball. We’re not playing, and for what reason, I don’t know.”