Bentonville endures Rogers again

6A-WEST BOYS

BENTONVILLE 51, ROGERS 47

BENTONVILLE — Nobody has given Bentonville High’s boys a tougher fight in 6A-West Conference play than Rogers High all season.

Their 6A-West Conference tournament matchup was no different Thursday night as the Tigers hung on for a 51-47 semifinal victory over the Mounties in Tiger Arena.

Bentonville (20-1) couldn’t rest easy until Mason Krakau hit two free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining to seal the win and send the Tigers into tonight’s championship game against Fayetteville.

“They’re just very physical and very intense,” Bentonville coach Dick Rippee said about the Mounties. “Just when you think you’ve got it over the hump, they come back and hit some big shots.

“But I’m proud of our guys. We found ways to win. We’re the first team to win 15 games in the 6A-West or the 7A-West. Unfortunately, that’s not good enough to get the league’s top seed for the state tournament. We have to go after one more.”

Bentonville took a 38-29 lead into the fourth quarter, and it eventually grew to 4632 after a Jaylen Lee 3-pointers with 5:51 remaining. Rogers (11-10), however, responded with 10 unanswered points and pulled within 46-42 on Will Liddell’s two free throws with 3:36 remaining.

Lee, who finished with 12 points, ended the Mounties’ run when he hit a layup just as the shot clock expired and made it a six-point game, but the sophomore guard was called for charging less than a minute later and left the game with five fouls.

Rogers didn’t cut into Bentonville’s lead again until Nick Quinn’s driving layup made it a 48-44 game with 41 seconds left, then Quinn scored again after each team hit a free throw to pull the Mounties within 49-47 with 11 seconds left. Bentonville, however, beat the full-court press, and Krakau hit his free throws.

“We just played the game,” Rippee said. “Our depth has been good all year long. Mason Krakau hit big free throws, Thane Spencer hit free throws down the stretch, and our guys know how to play. Rogers is so physical, and we try to match their physicality with our basketball IQ.”

Abel Hutchinson led Bentonville with 13 points. Van Rhame had 12 points and was the only player in double figures for Rogers, which travels to Bentonville West for today’s third-place game.