NEOSHO, Mo. — Bentonville’s players didn’t lose their composure when East Newton County, Mo., cut its lead into single digits Wednesday.
Instead, the Lady Tigers found their groove.
Bentonville went on a 12-0 run during a four-minute span in the third quarter and put its lead out of reach en route to a 53-36 victory in the opening day of the Neosho Holiday Classic.
Bentonville started the second half with a 24-10 lead, but that was cut to 24-15 on Haley Helig’s 3-pointer with 5 minutes, 50 seconds left in the third quarter. Brooke Mabeus then started the Lady Tigers’ run with a driving layup, and Jasmine Secrest capped it with back-to-back buckets, making the score 36-15 with 2:51 remaining.
“When the lead got down to nine, that’s when our girls started settling in and got a feel of the game,” Bentonville coach Tom Halbmaier said. “A lot of our players are rhythm players, and we just couldn’t find the right combination.
“Some of the girls never did find their rhythm, but I don’t expect them not to have it very long. We’re going to find it in the next game or the game after that. It’s just a matter of time.”
One player that had her rhythm from the outset was Taylor Lee. The senior guard scored 12 of her 15 points in the first 12 minutes, including a running one-handed jumper that banked in off the glass as the first quarter ended and gave the Lady Tigers a 9-2 lead.
When Lee cooled off, Jordan Martin picked up the slack. The sophomore guard had seven of her 10 points in the final 10 minutes, and Bentonville led by as much as 47-20 after Secrest’s layup with 5:17 remaining.
“Taylor, with what she did in the first half, she carried us with her aggressive play,” Halbmaier said. “What that did was bought us time until some of those other girls found their rhythm.”
Lee and Taylor were the only players to score in double figures. Kourtney Brewster had nine points to lead East Newton (4-5).
Bentonville, the two-time defending tournament champion, returns to action at 4:30 p.m. today against McDonald County, Mo., at Neosho Middle School. It’s the second of three pool play games for the Lady Tigers.
BENTONVILLE 53, EAST NEWTON COUNTY, MO. 36
East Newton 2 8 10 16 — 36
Bentonville 9 15 15 14 — 53
East Newton (4-5): Brewster 9, S. Thomlinson 5, Helig 5, McDermott 4, Hopper 4, W. Thomlinson 3, White 2, Sorrell 2, Harper 2.
Bentonville (10-0): Lee 15, Martin 10, Coleman 8, Secrest 8, Mabeus 4, Casey 4, Deb. Adkins 3, Dea. Adkins 1.