BENTONVILLE -- Bentonville put together a big second half to claim a tough 61-53 6A-West girls win over Fayetteville on Tuesday night at Tiger Arena.
Fayetteville led by double digits in the first half, but the Lady Tigers clawed back to earn the tough victory.
Bentonville Coach Tom Halbmaier said his team didn't shoot the ball well in the first half but credited Fayetteville's defense. He also thought Sam Rhuda's early basket in the third quarter gave his team some much-needed energy.
"The first half we didn't shoot the ball well at all," Halbmaier said. "But I give Fayetteville 100% credit. They did a great job getting out on our shooters and clogged up the lane, and they just made us look very average in the first half.
"Second half, our girls did a great job of moving the basketball and getting shots. What can I say about Anna Lee [Kulka] coming and playing the way she played. I was really proud of her. I thought our kids battled hard tonight, rebounded well and did the things they needed to do to go ahead and get a victory. We didn't play well, probably one of the worst first halves and Fayetteville gets all the credit on that. For the kids to respond the way they did, it was just great."
Whitney Brown led Fayetteville (9-9, 2-2(6A-West) with 15 points, while Charley Rawlins added 13, including 10 in the first half. Kulka finished with a game-high 20 for Bentonville (15-4, 4-1), while Rhuda chipped in 14.
Fayetteville Coach Vic Rimmer said Bentonville made some changes in the second half that turned the game in its favor.
"Bentonville changed their intensity level in the third quarter and we didn't match it," Rimmer said. "I think we're even. They're different than us, but as far as Tom [Halbmaier] does a great job with what he's got. We do a good job with what we've got.
"But they played with a lot higher intensity level in the second half than we did. I think in the first half, honest to goodness, they missed some shots that they usually make and we got out ahead of them. And offensively, we weren't in attack mode I guess is what you say. The zone bothered us. That kinda puts you in a spot where you're not as aggressive.
"There in the third quarter they got a lead and we came back and we drove the ball and got some looks off the drive. Kudos to them they did exactly what they needed to do to win the game. Transitioned offense well, they shot the ball well."
The Lady Bulldogs finished the second quarter on a 11-3 spurt over the final 3:07 and led 34-23 at halftime after holding Bentonville to just eight first-quarter points. Kulka scored nine of her 20 points in the fourth quarter. Rhuda also had nine of her 14 in the final two quarters.