BENTONVILE 89, CONWAY

Bentonville’s ability to make three-pointers turned a close game in the first half into an 89-60 rout of Conway.

The Tigers (20-8) shot 11-of-21 three-pointers with Harrison Hicks making four consecutive three pointers in the second quarter turning a 25-21 deficit into a 33-25 lead.


Bentonville will play Bryant at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

“The second quarter was when we took things over,” said Bentonville Coach Dick Rippee. “We got down early and then Harrison Hicks made some big threes and when he does that, he extends the floor and opens things up for everyone.”

Hicks led the Tigers with 21 points on 7-of-10 three-pointers. He also had some company. Jaylen Lee had 17 points while shooting 7-of-14 from the floor. Abel Hutchinson scored 13 points and seven rebounds while making five-of-eight shots from the floor. Caden Miller had 11 points and seven rebounds while making four-of-seven shots from the floor.

Bentonville used the momentum from Hicks’ threes in the second quarter to take a 42-34 halftime lead,

Conway (15-12), which shot 8-of-13 from the floor in a first quarter in which both teams were tied 20-20, turned the ball over six times in the second quarter and had two rebounds in the second quarter.

The domination continued into the third quarter when Bentonville outscored Cabot 27-9 in the third quarter taking a 69-43 lead into the final period in which Bentonville got the lead to 72-43 and 74-45 nearly hitting the 30-point margin which would have put the Arkansas Activities Association’s mercy-rule into effect.


Dwayne Lockhart led Conway with 17 points while making four-of-seven three-pointers. Colen Thompson had 11 points and Keiron Duncan had nine points.

“We’ve been a good shooting team all year, but tonight we defended against a very good athletic team,” Rippee said.