SMITH A FORCE IN OT FOR BEARCATS

Nate Smith scored eight points in overtime to lead the Booneville Bearcats to a 52-47 win in the final game of the opening night of the 10th annual Bearcat Classic Monday night.

Smith, who also scored four points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead basket with 4:44 to play and another to tie the game at 40 with 1:45 to go.

Smith, who finished with 16 points to lead the Bearcats, scored 50 seconds into the extra session to make it 46-44 and added a free throw with 2:00 to go to make it 47-44.

The Tigers cut it to 47-46 with 1:15 left but Smith took a pass from Macolen Tillery and put in a shot 14 seconds later to make it 49-46.

After Acorn cut it to 49-47 with a free throw Smith converted a conventional three-point play to make it 52-47 with just 20.4 seconds remaining.

After almost two scoreless minutes the Bearcats, who continue to play with a roster of seven until football season ends, broke on top and would lead until the 4:30 mark of the final quarter when a 3 gave Acorn a 37-36 edge.

Acorn went on to build a 40-36 lead with another 3 but baskets by Cody Sum and Smith tied it and a 3 by Noah Harrel gave the Bearcats a 43-42 lead with 1:11 to go.

Two free throws and a bucket gave Acorn the lead again before a Tillery free throw would be the final point of regulation and force overtime.

Harrel, who finished with 13 points had hit a pair of first quarter 3s, the second making it 16-8 through a quarter.

He hit another after Acorn cut it to 16-15 with 3:51 to go in the first half and closed the first half scoring with a free throw that made it 26-20.

Acorn again got within one with 5:52 to go in the third quarter before Smith scored just his second basket and a pair by Sum pushed it out to 32-25.

Sum scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds and Wesley Fonseca led the Bearcats with nine rebounds.

The Tigers pulled even with 5:02 to play before taking their first lead with 4:30 left.

The Bearcats will next face Prairie Grove at 8 p.m. Wednesday night for a berth in Saturday's finals.