VAN BUREN 51, FS SOUTHSIDE 38

VAN BUREN — The Van Buren boys basketball team led start to finish and had four players in double figures in a 51-38 win over Fort Smith Southside on Monday night at Clair Bates Arena.

Van Buren (2-1) increased a 26-21 halftime lead with a decisive third quarter.

In the quarter, the Pointers hit 7 of 13 shots from the floor and committed just one turnover for a 16-7 advantage to pull away.

“We got some consecutive stops which gave us an opportunity to get out a little bit and pick up an easy one here or there,” Van Buren Coach Brad Autry said. “I told them that how we come out in the second half is going to dictate a lot in this game, that if they close it closer then they’re going to have a some more life. I thought our guys did a good job of separating there.”

Jaxon Cazzell, Drew Brasuell and A.G. Denton all scored 12 points for the Pointers, and Glavine McDonald added 10 for a balanced scoring effort.

Van Buren led 15-5 six minutes into the game and 17-10 after a quarter.

Southside (0-1) cut Van Buren’s lead to 22-18 on consecutive baskets by Gibran Sullivan and Cooper Watson, but that was as close as it could get.

“Early on, we let them get some put backs and some cheap ones early,” Southside Coach Stewart Adams. “You can’t give a team that shoots that well second chances that scores so well offensively.”

Van Buren had two starters and two others who played significant minutes who were fresh off the football field with just a Sunday afternoon practice under their belt.

“Based on the situation we were in, I told them if they’re going to make a mistake make an aggressive mistake, go get the ball and do the absolute best they could,” Autry said. “There was some rust on some guys. I know it was difficult to suddenly have a new team on the floor but I thought our guys handled it well top to bottom and found a way to win.”

Alex Roper led Southside with 11 points. Watson and Trey Grant each scored seven.

Cazzell led Van Buren with eight rebounds to with his 12 points.

Van Buren travels to Springdale Har-Ber on Tuesday. Southside returns to Crawford County on Nov. 28 at Alma.

GIRLS VAN BUREN 39, FS SOUTHSIDE 28

The Lady Pointers also led start to finish to remain undefeated in the early season.

Van Buren (5-0) scored the first 13 points of the game fueled by three 3-pointers by Aspen Cone, all off dishes from Vi Johnson and all from the corner.

Cone added another trey to end the first quarter and finished with 17 points, adding another 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that halted a 7-0 by Southside (0-2).

“We had a good start,” Van Buren Coach Michael Kinney said. “We’re up 21-2, and felt like if we kept playing we might would have ran away with it. They stuck in there and battled and made a game out of it.”

Van Buren led 16-2 after the first quarter but the Lady Mavericks whittled it down to 21-14 early in the third quarter.

“Defensively, they were doing a good job,” Southside Coach Robert Brunk said. “They clog up a lot of gaps. They make it difficult to run your stuff. They get out and pressure you.”

Van Buren ended the third quarter with the final eight points off consecutive offensive rebounds and buckets by A.J. McDonald and Hope Oden to push the lead back to 29-14 going to the fourth quarter.

Sophia Neihouse led Southside with 10 points and seven rebounds. Kaila Robinson added nine points.

Van Buren travels to Bentonville West on Nov. 28 while Southside plays at Alma on Nov. 28.