With three starters playing their first games of the season the Booneville Bearcats survived Danville 41-38 completing a four-game sweep on the night.
It was the first game for the Bearcats since Dec. 2.
Danville broke a tie at 36 with a basket with 1:20 remaining. To that point the Bearcats had been scoreless for 5:31 since a Sadler Miller 3 had broken a tie at 33.
It was also Miller (shown) who scored the first Bearcat basket of the night, a 3 that touched off the Ethan Napier Toy Toss.
Nick Widener ended the drought when he got one of two free throws to fall with 1:12 to play but Danville still led 38-37.
The misfire proved fortunate because Dakota Fonseca collected the rebound and put it back in for a 39-38 lead with 1:10 to play.
Widener, who scored 16 points to lead the way, hit two free throws with 43.6 to go to make it 41-38.
Tayden Washburn, who was dominant on the glass with 15 rebounds, was unable to hit either of two more chances with 21.9 seconds left but Danville could not get a shot to fall to force overtime.
While it was the Widener free throws that provided a cushion requiring Danville try to tie it from long range, free throws were an issue for both teams.
The Bearcats converted just 8-of-18 on the night and Danville just 9-of-24.
Danville had led by as man as 9 in the first half but the Bearcats went on an 8-0 run that included two baskets each by Widener and Reed Brackney to tie it and went in front for the first time on a 3 by Miller.
Miller finished with 9 points and Brackney scored 8.
It was 26-24 when the second half began and the Bearcats would stretch it lead out to 33-27 on a Widener 3 but Danville had tied it going to the final quarter.
Lady Bearcats 49 Danville 37
The Lady Bearcats got off to a fast start and went on to snap a five-game skid with their third win over a Yell County school this season.
Haylee Taylor hit a pair of 3s and scored again during a game opening 10-0 run and the Lady Bearcats never trailed.
It was 18-6 through a quarter and still a comfortable 25-11 after a sluggish second quarter.
The lead was no less than 11 the rest of the way.
Taylor led the way with 18 points and was joined in double figures by Tempi Terry with 12 points to go with 12 rebounds, and Anna Ferguson with 11 points. Emma Fox also had nine boards.
Both teams will be in action again Tuesday night for their conference 3A-4 openers against Cossatot River.
BEARCATS RETURN TO FLOOR, HOLD OFF DANVILLE
