BENTONVILLE — A quick timeout was all Bentonville’s boys needed to get things back in order Tuesday night.
The Tigers held Rogers High to just one field goal over the final 10 minutes, 26 seconds of the first half, and that helped Bentonville set the stage for a 57-37 victory in 7A/6A-West Conference basketball action in Tiger Arena.
Bentonville coach Jason McMahan called the 30-second timeout after Rogers (6-11, 0-4) tied the score at 7-7 on Jake Killingsworth’s bucket at the 2:26 mark in the first quarter. The Tigers (14-3, 4-0) then responded, allowing only a Zach Jones bucket for the remainder of the first half.
“Our movement wasn’t good at all, neither at the post or at the guards,” McMahan said. “They weren’t reading the defense and getting to the proper spots.
BENTONVILLE 57, ROGERS HIGH 37
Rogers 9 3 17 8 — 37
Bentonville 15 15 24 3 — 57
Rogers (6-11, 0-4): Jones 12, Holt 7, Street 6, Killingsworth 5, Hill 3, McCullough 2, Smith 1, Gentz 1.
Bentonville (14-3, 4-0): Heard 29, Haggard 9, Smith 6, Head 4, Ward 4, Guillory 3, Bachman 2.
“They were so collapsed on Nick Smith that we knew we could get perimeter shots and drives if we moved to the right spots. We were able to do that.”
Austin Haggard closed the first quarter with five points as Bentonville claimed a 15-9 lead, then Austin Heard took over with his shooting. The senior guard scored eight straight points to cap a 15-3 Bentonville run in the second quarter as the Tigers enjoyed a 30-12 halftime cushion.
Heard continued his hot hand with 13 points in the third quarter and finished with a game-high 29 points. That helped Bentonville extend its lead to a 54-29 lead after three quarters.
“Heard shot the ball just excellent,” Rogers coach Wayne Herren said. “He’s such a great scorer, and they scored while we didn’t. That was the tell-tale.
“We have to get better, and that’s what I told my guys at halftime. We have to get better at attacking the rim. We gave up nine points on turnovers in the first half and missed six free throws. Giving up 15 points like that to a team like Bentonville — that’s hard to come back from.”
Heard was the only Bentonville player in double figures, while Jones led Rogers with 12.