NLR rides effort vs. Bentonville

GIRLS NORTH LITTLE ROCK 50, BENTONVILLE 48

A little effort took North Little Rock a long way Tuesday afternoon against Bentonville.

The Lady Charging Wildcats held a decisive advantage on the boards and forced 18 turnovers, including three over the game’s final two minutes to outlast the Lady Tigers 50-48.

Junior center Amauri Williams bounced back from an early technical foul to finish with 16 points and 12 rebounds while senior Kalina Foster scored 15 points, all on three-pointers, for North Little Rock (5-3), which rallied past the defending Class 6A co-champions to give Coach Daryl Fimple his 501st career victory at Charging Wildcat Arena.

“When we play with a high level of effort, we’re really, really good,” Fimple said. “Now when we don’t, we’re really, really bad. There’s no in between. And when you’re playing that many kids, you should give effort all the time.

“I think our kids really are buying into that.”

North Little Rock shot just 16 of 57 (28.1%) from the floor but held a 42-26 rebounding advantage. Fimple said those extra possessions did wonders for a team that’s looking to generate consistency before conference play begins in two weeks.

Junior Destine Duckworth had 6 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals, and senior guard Arin Freeman added 7 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks for the Lady Charging Wildcats, who had their hands full trying defend one of the country’s top players in Maryam Dauda.

The senior center — who recorded 29 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in the Lady Tigers’ 62- 45 victory over North Little Rock during the quarterfinals of the state tournament last season — had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks Tuesday for Bentonville (4-2).

“I think they may have gotten a little tired in transition,” Fimple said of Bentonville. “Dauda had to stay out there the whole time, and she is a game-plan waiting to happen.

“The thing about her is, it’s just like in our league. We’ve got Jersey Wolfenbarger [of Fort Smith Northside] so this is a good game to play against somebody at that level that’s a heck of a player. And [Bentonville Coach Tom Halbmaier] does an amazing job because they’re always good.”

Junior guard Jada Brown added 10 points, and junior forward Nadia Akbar had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals for the Lady Tigers, who were 13-of-38 (34.2%) shooting.

The teams were tied 2121 at halftime before North Little Rock established a 3430 lead after Foster’s fourth three-pointer with 1:54 to go in the third. A pair of free throws from Dauda on the following possession started a 9- 0 run that spilled into the fourth quarter to give the Lady Tigers a 39-36 lead.

Bentonville led 43-38 after a 21-footer from senior guard Riley Hayes with 3:46 left in the game, but a three-pointer from Williams started an 11-1 run that allowed North Little Rock to surge ahead. She added another three-pointer during the spurt, as did Foster.

The Lady Tigers pulled within 49-48 after two Brown free throws over the final seconds, but Freeman later hit one of two from the foul line with 9.6 seconds remaining to help close it out for North Little Rock.

“[Foster and Freeman’s] effort was amazing,” Fimple said. “Freeman kept balls alive, got us extra possessions. And defensively, she came up with some big steals. That’s what you want your seniors to do, and they did the little things in this one.”