Nate Smith scored 17 points through the first three quarters to help the Bearcats build a lead against Prairie Grove Wednesday night.
Wesley Fonseca scored nine in the final quarter to make sure the Bearcats stayed in front in a 45-41 win over the Tigers to advance to the finals of the 10th Bearcat Classic against Ozark, a game that is scheduled for 7:45 Saturday night.
The nine fourth quarter points gave Fonseca a career high 10 and Smith’s 17 is also his best scoring game as a Bearcat. Fonseca also had six rebounds on the night.
Smith scored the first basket of the night ad after one by Cody Sum it was 4-2 just 67 seconds into the game.
Prairie Grove got a 3 for its first lead, and it was a lead the Tigers would hold until going to the dressing room.
It was 13-8 through one quarter but the only scoring changes for until the 4:37 mark of the second quarter was a 3 by Noah Harrel, who was a third Bearcat in double figures with 11 points.
Prairie Grove led 18-13 with 2:04 left in the half but another Harrel 3 and a free throw by Fonseca cut it to 18-17.
Smith got a steal and threw in a shot from well beyond the arc that made it 20-18 at the half.
There would not be another lead change.
Smith was particularly effective in the third quarter scoring the first five second half points to extend the lead to 25-18. After two Tiger free throws Harrel hit a 3 for a 28-20 advantage.
With Macolen Tillery hitting two free throws and Smith dropping in another 3, the lead would reach double figures at 33-23 with 3:23 left in the quarter.
But the Bearcats, who went to a more deliberate pace with their seven man roster, would not score again. Prairie Grove managed just two free throws to cut it 33-25 over the rest of the quarter.
Fonseca started the fourth quarter with a basket to make it a double digit lead again and he hit two free throws to make it a game best 12 point cushion at 37-25 with 5:30 to play.
Scoring on an assist from Tillery, Fonseca made it six straight he scored for his side and it was 39-28 with 4:21 left.
Prairie Grove got it to a two possession game at 41-35 with 2:02 to play but Harrel fed Fonseca for a basket with 45 seconds remaining to make it 43-35.
It was Fonseca again with a free throw to make it 44-36 but the Tigers kept coming getting it to 44-41 with 11 seconds left.
Harrel hit a free throw with 1.8 seconds to go to put the game away.
Girls
Down 16 when the second half started and still down 15 with 5:33 left in the third quarter the Lady Bearcats went on a 17-3 run to get within a point of Prairie Grove with 6:23 remaining in the game Wednesday night.
The Lady Tigers got two free throws 16 seconds later to start a 14-1 run of their own and led 58-46 with 2:27 to play.
The Lady Bearcats climbed back within 5 on a 3 by Linley Garrett with 19 seconds to go but a pair of Lady Tiger free throws set the final at 62-55.
The 3 by Garrett gave her 13 on the night, the same as Tempi Terry. Lexi Franklin scored 20 for the second time in the tournament to lead the Lady Bearcats.
Prairie Grove raced to an 11-2 lead with 2:38 left in the opening quarter but Franklin and Garrett got the Lady Bearcats within 15-8 through a quarter.
The Lady Tigers pushed that to 21-8 with 6:07 left in the first half.
Terry, who had a double-double with 11 rebounds to go with her 13 points, scored five points before halftime to help keep the Lady Bearcats in it.
Terry scored twice in the first 3:03 of the second half and had a pair of free throws in the run to cut it to one.
