Coleman, Bentonville Upends Russellville

— Kindal Coleman said she didn’t feel too good Wednesday night, but her performance left Russellville under the weather.

Bentonville’s senior guard scored a game-high 14 points and added six assists, and the Lady Tigers opened the Crabtree Invitational with a 54-41 victory in Tiger Arena.

Coleman, Bentonville’s only returning starter from last season, hit a trio of 3-pointers, and her three-point play to start the second half helped the Lady Tigers take their first double-digit lead.

“I thought Kindal played really big for us,” Bentonville coach Tom Halbmaier said. “She made things happen defensively and offensively, and she was by far our best player.

“She was sick, so for her to put in 30 minutes on the floor and gut it out, I was very proud of her.”

Bentonville (2-0) trailed 12-10 after one quarter, but the Lady Tigers took the lead for good when Madison Brittain’s bucket broke a 15-15 tie with 5 minutes, 20 seconds left in the fi rst half. It was part of an 11-2 Bentonville run to close out the first half, and Jordan White’s two free throws gave the Lady Tigers a 24-17 halftime cushion.

Coleman’s three-point play made it a 27-17 game, but Russellville (1-2) managed to cut Bentonville’s lead to six on two occasions in the third quarter. Alyssa Owens’ backto-back buckets pulled the Lady Cyclones within 34-28 midway into the third quarter, but Coleman and Deanna Adkins hit consecutive 3-pointers to put the Lady Tigers’ lead back into double digits again.

Jordan was the only other Bentonville player in double figures with 10 points, all from the free-throw line, and finished one rebound short of a double-double. Shameka Ealy had 13 points and 9 rebounds to pace Russellville, while Owens chipped in 10.

The Crabtree Invitational is set to resume at noon Saturday with four games as each team is scheduled to play twice. It includes back-to-back games for Bentonville, which plays Huntsville at 1:30 p.m. and Gravette at 3.

HUNTSVILLE 65, GRAVETTE 43

Brittanie Gragg and Cara Cagle each had 10 points to lead Huntsville to its first win of the season.

The Lady Eagles (1-2) pulled away when it outscored Gravette (1-3) 26-11 in the second quarter and stretched a six-point lead into a 36-15 halftime cushion.

Sam Pruitt had 18 points and Kylee Davis 16 for Gravette.

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