FAYETTEVILLE - Halfway through the 7A /6A-West Conference regular season schedule, the Fayetteville girls basketball team has positioned itself to make a serious run for a league championship.
The best news for Lady’Dogs might not be the work they’ve already put in, but instead what lies ahead. Fayetteville played f ive straight conference games without leading scorer, sophomore DaShundra Morgan, who missed time with a knee injury. Morgan returnedFriday and scored 12 points in a 44-35 win at Bentonville.
Along with health, the Lady’Dogs (13-5, 6-1) have a more favorable schedule in the second half, as bothSpringdale Har-Ber and Siloam Springs visit Bulldog Arena this month.
“We’ve had some crazy games so far,” Fayetteville coach Vic Rimmer said. “We had the 20-point lead at Siloam and had to hold on. We played our worst game offensively against Har-Ber and probably our best game overall against Springdale.
“We’re just trying to learn who we are and understand our roles.”
Plays of the Week: Unfortunately for the Fayetteville boys, it was more a case of costly plays near the end of two games this week that helped lead to a pair of Bulldogs’ losses. Fayetteville fouled Springdale Har-Ber’s Mason Cline with just 36 seconds with Cline in the act of shooting the Wildcats clinging to a 42-41 lead. After Cline converted the old-fashioned three-point play, the Bulldogs never recovered.
Then on Friday, a late five-second call against sophomore Payton Willis while Fayetteville was attempting to hold for the last shot allowed Bentonville’s Malik Monk to pull off his second game-winning buzzer beater of the week in a 52-49 Tigers’ win.
Player of the Week: Lauren Schuldt provided a little bit of everything forthe Lady Purple’Dogs this week. Schuldt, a 6-foot-1 junior, scored a team-high 10 points in Fayetteville’s 44-34 loss at Springdale Har-Ber on Tuesday before showing off her defensive skills to finish off the week. Against Bentonville Friday, Schuldt had 12 blocked shots and nine rebounds as the Fayetteville pulled out a 44-35 victory.
“I’ve need had a player do anything like that (12 blocks),” Rimmer said. “And they were all legit. She looked like a 7-foot center out there.”
Notable: The Bulldogs (10-10, 3-4 7A /6A-West) have now lost seven games decided by five points orless. .. Fayetteville has lost three conference games in a row after a 3-1 start, dropping games against Springdale High, Springdale Har-Ber and Bentonville. .. The Lady Bulldogs hit 14 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter Friday to help clinch the win at Bentonville.
Up Next: After a Tuesday off, Fayetteville returns to conference play Friday by opening up the second half of 7A/6A-West play at home against Rogers Heritage. The Bulldogs defeated Heritage, 51-45, on Jan. 11 and the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady War Eagles in their first meeting, 41-24.
AT A GLANCE THAT FIGURES 3ff Fayetteville - Consecutive boys losses for 5ff sophomore - Conference guard games DaShundra Morgan missed with a knee injury before returning Friday 12ff Lady - Blocked Bulldog shots junior by Lauren Shuldt in Friday’s win at Bentonville
Sports, Pages 8 on 02/02/2014