Pointers No Match For Fayetteville

Tyler McCullough of Fayetteville goes up to block the shot of Van Buren’s Bradley Eversole as he drives to the hoop during Thursday’s 7A State Basketball Tournament in Fayetteville.
Tyler McCullough of Fayetteville goes up to block the shot of Van Buren’s Bradley Eversole as he drives to the hoop during Thursday’s 7A State Basketball Tournament in Fayetteville.

— Van Buren has tried about every way possible to play Fayetteville in three games this season.

None have worked.

7A State Tournament

Boys

FAYETTEVILLE 46, VAN BUREN 29

Van Buren 4 3 10 12 — 29

Fayetteville 7 10 22 7 — 46

Van Buren (14-14): Pearson 11, Pagel 9, McKee 3, Ray 2, Chitwood 2, Smith 2.

Fayetteville (25-3): Waitsman 16, McCullough 11, Watkins 8, Paschke 5, Smith 2, Williamson 2, Carney 2.

The Pointers tried to keep pace up and down the court in a 68-30 home loss on Jan. 8. 30. They then slowed the game down to a crawl in a 35-23 road defeat to the Purple’Dogs on Feb. 4.

Van Buren tried a little bit of both Thursday, slowing the offense early and picking the pace up late. But Fayetteville once again was simply too much, this time going to senior posts Tyler McCullough and Caleb Waitsman over and over again in a 46-29 win in the quarterfinal round of the Class 7A Tournament at Bulldog Arena.

“You hope you can come in here and hit some shots and stay in it, and in the first half we’re just 10 down with no more shots than we made,” Van Buren coach Randy Loyd said. “But they’re just so good at every position and they came out in the third quarter and hit us in the mouth a little bit, and our kids backed off a little.”

Van Buren had trouble scoring all night long, but managed to stay within 17-7 at the half as Fayetteville’s offense was also slow to get started. The Bulldogs then put a heavy dose of McCullough and Waitsman inside on the Pointers, as the two seniors combined for 27 points — on 11 of 15 shooting from the field — and seven rebounds to lead Fayetteville’s second-half surge.

“That was our plan,” Bulldogs coach Kyle Adams said. “We did a good job of finding those guys and Tyler found Caleb around three times were we got and-ones.

“But the big thing was our defense. We were working our tails off again tonight and it’s gotten better and better over the last month.”

Fayetteville used a 13-3 run to end the third quarter, taking its biggest lead of the game at 39-17. McCullough and Waitsman combined for 10 points during the run getting easy baskets and trips to the free throw line against the overmatched Pointers.

“They’re big inside and both of those guys are big, college players,” Loyd said. “They’re good. That’s all I can say and we knew from the first time we had seen them that they’re a team that can win the whole thing.”

Fayetteville (25-3) went to reserves for most of the fourth quarter with the game in control. Waitsman finished with 16 points and McCullough 11, while Manuale Watkins also added eight.

Ryan Pearson led the Pointers (13-14) with 11.

The Bulldogs will face the Bentonville-Fort Smith Northside winner in the Class 7A semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

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