Tigers dominate
Bentonville used a 12-2 run to end the third quarter and dominated the second half in a 79-55 victory over Fayetteville.
6A-WEST BOYS
BENTONVILLE 79, FAYETTEVILLE 55
BENTONVILLE — Round one went to Bentonville, and it wasn’t close.
The Tigers used a 12-2 run to end the third quarter and dominated the second half in a 79-55 victory against Fayetteville in 6A-West Conference action Friday night in Tiger Arena.
“We finally hit some shots,” Bentonville Coach Dick Rippee said. “I thought at the end of the third quarter we got some separation, and our guys made some nice reads and some nice baskets.”
Bentonville (10-1, 4-0 6A-West) led 46-39 with 3:31 left in the third quarter. Harrison Hicks knocked down an open three-pointer to start the flurry, and Abel Hutchinson ended the run with a three-pointer from the left side at the buzzer to give the Tigers a 58-41 lead.
“Bentonville is a good basketball team that played at a high level tonight,” Fayetteville Coach Brad Stamps said. “We just have to bounce back from this and make sure this one doesn’t beat us twice.”
Fayetteville (12-3, 3-1) had no answer for Bentonville guard Jaylen Lee, who torched the Bulldogs for a game-high 28 points. The sophomore turned it up a notch in the second half, scoring 19 points.
After hitting 3 three-pointers in the first quarter, Lee did not score in the second quarter. He made up for that in the third, scoring 12 points to help the Tigers build a double-digit lead.
“He’s just a great floor leader for us,” Rippee said. “He sees the floor better than anyone I’ve ever coached, and I’ve been blessed to coach a lot of good ones. He sets guys up really well, and he’s also capable of making some shots. We try to put him in positions where he can be successful. He was a great leader tonight for us.”
Bentonville led 19-12 at the end of the first quarter and 34-26 at halftime, but the Bulldogs battled back behind Landon Glasper in the third quarter. Glasper hit a pull-up jumper just inside the free- throw line to pull Fayetteville within 37-34 early in the third quarter.
But the Bulldogs could not sustain the momentum. A six-point deficit swelled to 11, then 14 as Lee nailed a pair of free throws during the defining 12-2 run.
In the closing seconds of the third quarter, the Tigers spotted Hutchinson alone in front of the Bentonville bench and the junior guard — who scored 16 for the Tigers — was ready, knocking down the three-pointer and celebrating with his teammates as the horn sounded.
Glasper led Fayetteville with 15 points. Matt Wayman added 14 and CJ Williams finished with 11.
Bentonville will host Rogers on Tuesday, and Fayetteville will host Springdale.
GIRLS
BENTONVILLE 72, FAYETTEVILLE 66
Maryam Dauda scored 35 points to help the Lady Tigers stay on top of the 6A-West Conference standings.
Bentonville (9-2, 3-0 6A-West) hit 12 three-pointers including five in the first quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs (6-6, 2-1) did not go down quietly. The Lady Tigers led 39-33 at halftime and went up by 11 in the fourth quarter before Fayetteville came roaring back.
Fayetteville was within 67-64 with 2:45 left on Lauren Lindsey’s three-pointer, but Bentonville secured the win when Riley Hayes knocked down a three-pointer with just under two minutes left.
Jada Brown scored 13 for Bentonville and Hayes finished with 10.
Caroline Lyles scored 23 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Claudia Bridges added 18, and Wynter Beck finished with 16.