Balanced effort carries Farmington

FARMINGTON — Hot Springs Lakeside’s strategy against Farmington was to double team Layne Taylor and force the other Cardinals to beat them.

They did. Farmington received a balanced effort to defeat Lakeside 47-35 Saturday in the Cardinal Classic at Cardinal Arena. Taylor still led the Cardinals in scoring with 21 points. Mateo Carbonel followed with 11 points, Nathan Monroe had 8, and Caleb Blakey contributed 7 for Farmington, which improved to 10-0 on the season.

“He is not going to out jump somebody, but he’s going to go around somebody because he gives max effort,” Farmington Coach Jonny Taylor said of Carbonel, a 5-11 senior forward. “Monroe hit some big shots in the first half to open it up for us and give us the lead.”

Taylor set a school record with 61 points on Friday against Huntsville, which prompted Lakeside to double team the sophomore guard soon after he crossed mid-court. Taylor recognized the ploy and passed inside to Blakely for two early baskets. Carbonel worked inside for points and rebounds and Monroe contributed two early three-pointers to help Farmington build a 29-18 lead in the third quarter.

Carson Dearing, a 6-5 center, came off the bench and provided some interior defense against Lakeside, which missed plenty of shots inside.

“Carson Dearing, his length at the rim, he’s the reason we won,” Taylor said. “They were gashing us inside. We put him in there and he clogged it up.”

Atreal Howard scored 13 points for Lakeside, which lost to Farmington and Bentonville West after opening the three-day Cardinal Classic with a win over Huntsville on Thursday.

Farmington was in control from the outset and led 12-4 after Taylor hit his first three-pointer late in the first quarter. But Howard, a 6-foot3 sophomore, led a surge in the third quarter that prompted a Farmington timeout after the Rams pulled to within 29-24.

Taylor answered with a three-pointer and a threepoint play to give Farmington a 41-28 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals then spread the floor and made enough free throws to finish off the Rams.

Farmington will play at Siloam Springs on Tuesday before opening conference play at Berryville on Friday.