Lady Tigers Enjoy First Place By Themselves

Julia Garrard of Bentonville attempts to score around Fayetteville’s Vanessa Matlock on Friday in Fayetteville.
Julia Garrard of Bentonville attempts to score around Fayetteville’s Vanessa Matlock on Friday in Fayetteville.

— Bentonvlle’s girls did take care of everything they were supposed to do this week, but the Lady Tigers didn’t mind some added assistance they received away from their games.

That Figures

3 — Straight losses by the Tigers, the longest skid of the season

21 — Free throws hit by the Lady Tigers in Friday’s win over Fayetteville

40 — combined points scored by Nick Smith in the Tigers’ two games

As a result, Bentonville has reclaimed sole possession of first place in the 7A/6A-West Conference standings to close out the first half of league play. The Lady Tigers (18-2, 6-1) claimed victories over Springdale High and Fayetteville, while Rogers High and Rogers Heritage each suffered a loss to fall out of a first-place tie.

Meanwhile, Bentonville is the team that has done the falling in the conference’s boys standings. The Tigers (14-6, 4-3) started the week in a three-way tie for second place, but losses to Springdale High and Fayetteville have caused Bentonville to drop into fourth place through the first half of league play.

PLAY OF THE WEEK: Austin Haggard has a knack of hitting off-balance shots while being fouled in games, and Tuesday’s game against Springdale was no exception. The Tigers’ senior guard banked in a tough shot, then completed the three-point play to give Bentonville a 42-39 lead to start the fourth quarter.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Taylor Lee, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, had 20 points in Bentonville’s victory over Springdale, then added a 12-point outing Friday at Fayetteville. Nick Smith, a 6-8 senior forward, finished the week with 40 points in Bentonville’s two losses and led the Tigers in scoring in both games.

NOTABLE: Lee added 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double Friday against Fayetteville as well as three of the Lady Tigers’ foul steals. ... Brooke Mabeus, one of the shorter players on the court, had a combined 13 rebounds in the Lady Tigers’ two wins. ... Bentonville’s girls finished with the same amount of rebounds (44) as it did points in its win over Fayetteville ... If the regular season was over now, Bentonville’s boys would actually enter the Class 7A State Tournament as a No. 3 seed because of the ratings system used.

THE LINGO: “It was definitely a steady grind. When you give up nine offensive rebounds and 10 second-chance points in the first half, they’re going to stay in the game and make it uglier. It backed us into a corner a little bit, where we have to get better in that area. The girls will respond, and they’ll be fine.”

TOM HALBMAIER

Bentonville girls coach

UP NEXT: Bentonville begins the second half of conference play Friday night a pair of games at Van Buren. Bentonville took both games when the two teams met earlier this month in Tiger Arena, and the Tigers have beaten the Pointers twice this season.

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