Fort Smith Northside (21-9) scored 23 unanswered points — 12 by Javion Releford — during a span of slightly more than four minutes, and the Grizzlies will return to Hot Springs to defend their Class 7A state tournament title after defeating Fayetteville.

Releford, a junior guard, hit 3 consecutive three-pointers at one point and finished with four during Northside’s early run. His last one came from well beyond the arc with 2:54 left in the first quarter and made it a 21-2 game, then Kentrell Jacobs hit back-to-back buckets to complete the 25-point outburst.

Fayetteville (19-9) didn’t help its cause in the early stages. The Bulldogs had a flurry of missed shots and turnovers before Collin Cooper ended the run when he scored with 1:33 left in the first quarter, almost five minutes after Fayetteville’s first basket.

Isaiah Joe finished with a team-high 24 points for Northside, including a dunk that gave the Grizzlies their biggest lead, 34-5, early in the second quarter. Frank Morgan had 13 and Cooper scored 11 to pace Fayetteville.