Experience, Balance Could Lead To Fun Times For Lady Tigers

Taylor Lee of Bentonville, right, chases down a loose ball Thursday.
Taylor Lee of Bentonville, right, chases down a loose ball Thursday.

— There are reason to believe this could be a fun season for Bentonvilles girls basketball team.

CUTLINES:

Taylor Lee, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, is expected to carry an offensive load for Bentonville this year after she averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game last season and earned all-state honors.

Brooke Mabeus is expected to be Bentonvilles main point guard this season after splitting time at shooting guard and point guard for the past two seasons.

Julia Garrard, a 6-foot-1 senior, returns to the post for Bentonville after setting school single-game records for blocked shots (9) and rebounds (18) and a single-season record for blocked shots with 50.

The Lady Tigers have an abundance of senior leadership and experienced players from a team that finished 20-10 last season. There are a number of younger players that could provide help and give Bentonville balance in all phases of the game.

Coach Tom Halbmaier, though, has already warned his team nothing will come easy.

These girls, they understand and see the big picture, he said. They know they are going to have to play for four quarters. If they dont play well, they could easily be the worst team in the conference.

I think this group will be better than last years group. One, its a senior group. We have more scoring coming back, and our defense is more mature. With whatever holes we had from last years group, we filled them pretty good.

Most teams will turn their attention to stopping Taylor Lee and for good reason. The 5-foot-8 senior guard was an all-state selection last year after she averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and she was second on the team with 51 steals.

She will have help on her side, beginning with fellow returning starter Brooke Mabeus, who will assume the majority of the point guard role. Rashaun Casey, a part-time starter last year, and Jamayne Potts can provide help in the backcourt, and Bentonville welcomes back junior Kindal Coleman, who played in three games before injuring her knee.

Julia Garrard became a starter during conference play and broke school records for blocked shots (9) and rebounds (18) in a single game, as well as the single-season record for blocked shots (50). Jasmine Secrest, who saw limited varsity action, should also help out inside.

The kids that were coming along toward the end of the season, I expect them to continue to grow, Halbmaier said. Im going to expect Taylor to carry an offensive load this year, and shes up to the challenge to do it again.

But I think were so balanced across the board. Our kids will have to come in and play hard with a lot of energy. They need to play at the level theyre capable of playing.

The Lady Tigers open their regular season Thursday with a home game against Stilwell, Okla., followed by a road game four days later against Alma. Bentonville will defend the tournament titles it won last year at Vinita, Okla., and Neosho, Mo., before entering conference play.

Bentonville Lady Tigers 2012-13 Basketball Schedule

Date Opponent Time

Nov. 15 Stilwell, Okla. 4 p.m.

Nov. 19 at Alma 5:30 p.m.

Crabtree Invitational Tournament

Nov. 29 Huntsville 6 p.m.

Nov. 30 Branson, Mo. 6 p.m.

Dec. 1 Gravette 1:30 p.m.-

Dec. 6-8 Vinita, Okla., Tournament TBD

Dec. 13 at Greenwood 3:30 p.m.

Dec. 14 at Clarksville 6 p.m.

Dec. 20 at Pea Ridge 3:30 p.m.

Dec. 26-29 Neosho Holiday Classic TBD

Jan. 4 Van Buren* 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 8 at Springdale Har-Ber* 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 11 at Rogers Heritage* 3:30 p.m.

Jan. 15 Rogers High* 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 18 at Siloam Springs* 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 22 Springdale High* 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 25 at Fayetteville* 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 1 at Van Buren* 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 5 Springdale Har-Ber* 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 Rogers Heritage* 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 12 at Rogers High* 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 15 Siloam Springs* 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 19 at Springdale High* 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 22 Fayetteville* 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 26- Class 7A State Tournament TBD

March 2

  • 7A/6A-West Conference game

  • game time subject to change if Bentonvilles football team plays in Class 7A State Championship

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