Bentonville routs Fayetteville girls
6A-WEST GIRLS
BENTONVILLE 47, FAYETTEVILLE 27
BENTONVILLE — Maryam Dauda is rated by several national scouting services as the top post player in the country in the 2021 recruiting class.
Those services should not overlook her perimeter game.
The Bentonville junior scored a game-high 17 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career Friday night as the Lady Tigers routed Fayetteville 47-27 in a 6A-West Conference battle in Tiger Arena.
The 6-4 Dauda blocked six shots to shut down Fayetteville’s inside game, but it wasn’t the swats or scoring milestone that had her smiling afterward when she was receiving congratulatory hugs.
Midway through the second quarter, Dauda stepped out to the three-point line at the top of the key and buried a shot to cap a 10-0 Bentonville run that pushed the lead to 22-11. She said she knew at that point it was going to be the Lady Tigers’ night.
“It felt good. It felt really good,” Dauda said of her three-pointer. “That was for all the post players out there. Just work on your shot and make sure everyone respects your shot from the three-point line. Once you start making those, everyone will respect your game.”
Bentonville (22-1, 11-0) won its 17th consecutive game to take a two-game lead in the conference race.
Fayetteville (19-5, 9-2) jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and Bentonville looked like it might be in trouble when sophomore point guard Jada Brown picked up two quick fouls. Lady Tigers Coach Tom Halbmaier left Brown in the game, and she did not pick up another foul the rest of the way.
“It was one of those deals where it was yes and no,”
Halbmaier said about whether to sit Brown or let her play through. “This type of game, she was made for this. She’s so aggressive.
“That was probably the best thing that could have happened to her, picking up those two fouls. She kind of settled down and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to have to play with more control if I’m going to stay in the game.’ ”
After Dauda’s three-pointer, Bentonville never was threatened. The Lady Tigers cruised to a 27-15 lead at halftime, then opened the third quarter on a 13-0 run for a 40-15 lead on Natalie Smith’s three-pointer.
Dauda, who now has 1,013 career points, was the only Bentonville player in double figures, but Smith finished with nine and Rylie Hayes scored eight.
Caroline Lyles led the Lady Bulldogs with nine points. Sasha Goforth scored seven points and Coriah Beck had six for Fayetteville, which saw its six-game winning streak snapped.
“I could not be more proud of my team,” Halbmaier said. “Maryam did a great job of cleaning up the middle, but my guards did a great job of getting out on the shooters and contesting shots. I could not be more pleased with these young ladies.”
BOYS BENTONVILLE 60, FAYETTEVILLE 56
The Tigers clinched a 6A-West victory at the free-throw line.
Bentonville (15-8, 6-5) outscored the Bulldogs 23-20 in the final quarter.
Fayetteville’s C.J. Williams drained a three-pointer with 1:00 left to make it a one-point game at 55-54, but the Tigers got three free throws from Sawyer Price, and the Bulldogs (17-8, 8-3) misfired on several perimeter shots late.
Price scored 13 points to lead a balanced Bentonville attack. Brayden Freeman finished with 12, and Hayden Shanks scored 11.
Williams was the only Fayetteville player in double figures with 10. Tamaury Releford scored nine points — just two in the second half — after scoring 24 second-half points in the team’s first meeting in January.