HOT SPRINGS -- After Friday's Class 6A boys state championship game, Fort Smith Northside Coach Eric Burnett smiled when speaking about the lack of respect he felt his team received for the majority of the season.
That shouldn't be a problem going forward.
Northside got a strong showing from junior Jaylin Williams and a timely basket late from senior Javion Releford to hold off the Bryant Hornets 44-41 in front of an animated crowd of 6,062 at Bank OZK Arena.
"Three weeks ago, nobody was talking about Fort Smith Northside," Burnett said. "But I like that. I told them, 'No one's talking about us, but that's cool.' We were just going to ride under the radar and take care of business one game at a time.
"I didn't want anyone patting us on the back, didn't want anybody doing much for us. I just wanted them to stay humble, and that's what these guys did."
Williams scored 20 points, pulled down 16 rebounds and blocked 3 shots en route to MVP honors for Northside (21-11), and the Grizzlies put an end to the Hornets' 15-game winning streak.
"I told this team that we are built for this stage right here when it comes to state tournament time," Burnett said. "We make our nonconference season so dang hard. When it gets to this time of the year, they've seen everything."
The Grizzlies, who were 17 of 38 (44.7 percent) from the field, never trailed, were up 25-14 at halftime and led by as much as 10 points in the fourth quarter until the Hornets stormed back.
A 15-footer from Bryant junior guard Khalen Robinson started a 12-2 run for the Hornets, who used defensive pressure to turn a 37-27 deficit into a 39-39 tie with 1:51 left in the game. Northside retook the lead 34 seconds later when Releford hit a three-pointer from the left wing. Before that shot, Releford had gone 0-of-3 shooting and committed 6 turnovers, but he said he wasn't concerned about his play beforehand.
"Coach B has a lot of confidence in me," Releford said. "He put me in position to knock down that shot, and I felt like it was a shot that I should've knocked down."
"He was the only one that I wanted shooting the three," Burnett said. "Javion knows that I have much confidence in him. I don't care what time is on the clock or what's going on."
Releford also hit two free throws with nine seconds left to give Northside its three-point lead. Bryant had one last chance to tie the game, but senior guard Rodney Lambert's three-pointer sailed left of the rim as time expired, allowing the Grizzlies to celebrate their second state title in the past three years.
Robinson and sophomore guard Camren Hunter each had 11 points for Bryant (24-5), which had beaten Northside in two of its earlier meetings but hadn't appeared in a championship game of any kind since 1981. The 41 points were the fewest of the season for the Hornets, who finished 15 of 41 (36.6 percent) from the floor and were outrebounded 29-23.
Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said pre-game jitters may have played a role.
"Maybe, and it pains me to say that, but that may have been the case," he said. "We had some times where we didn't look like ourselves. Our team has been so good all year following the plan, but [Friday], we had some moments where we didn't."
The Hornets missed their first five shots and didn't net their initial points until junior guard Treylon Payne drilled a three-pointer with 2:47 left in the first quarter.
The Grizzlies ran out to a 9-0 lead keyed by Williams. The 6-10 center scored six points during the spurt, including a dunk with 3:14 showing.
Bryant tied the game at 13-13 with 4:21 left in the second quarter on a three-pointer from junior guard A.J. Jenkins, but Northside ended the half on a 12-1 run, with senior guard Jermualle Norwood burying a shot 10 feet beyond half court at the buzzer.
The Hornets climbed as close as 31-27 in the third quarter, but back-to-back baskets from Williams and junior forward Braylin McKinney enabled Northside to take a 35-27 lead into the fourth quarter.
Sports on 03/09/2019