Class 6A Arkansas basketball tournament roundup

GIRLS

CABOT, 68, ROGERS HERITAGE 57

The Cabot Lady Panthers (16-12) had to survive Carlee Casteel and the Rogers Heritage Lady War Eagles (18-10) in a 68-57 victory. 

Casteel scored 32 points with 15 coming in the third quarter as the Lady Panthers (16-12) will meet North Little Rock in the second round at 7 p.m. Thursday.

She made 6 three-pointers and made 6-of-8 free throws. She also had six rebounds.

In addition to Casteel, the Lady Panthers had to overcome three players — Jaycie Cook, Blyss Miller and Layla Reese — picking up their third fouls in the third quarter and Brenlee Leonard, who picked up her fourth with 2:58 left in the game.

“We did just enough to win tonight,” said Cabot coach Jay Cook. “We didn’t guard Casteel like we hoped. When she handles the ball, she creates a lot of contact and we got to the point where whoever had the fewest amount of fouls had to guard her.”

Cabot led most the way, taking a 20-9 lead midway through the second quarter before Tiaunna Corshia and Casteel scored on consecutive possessions to cut the lead to 20-18 with Casteel making one of her 6 three-pointers in the game and later adding two free throws and Corshia driving to make it 20-18.

Cabot responded on a three pointer by Jenna Cook, who also made a three pointer as time expired in the half to give the Lady Panthers a 27-21 lead.

Casteel made 3 three-pointers early in the third quarter to cut Cabot’s lead to 36-33 before Leonard rebounded Reese’s miss to key a 13-4 run to end the third quarter, giving the Lady Panthers a 49-37 lead after three quarters.

Rogers Heritage cut Cabot’s lead down to 52-46 on a drive by Casteel midway through the fourth quarter and to 56-51 on a basket by Easton Kimball with 2:30 to play before Cabot used a 12-5 run to end the game by making 8 of its last 12 free throws.

Leonard had 16 points, with 14 coming after halftime with seven rebounds. Jaycie Cook and Reese had 14 points. Jenna Cook had 11 points and 6 rebounds.

“Leonard had a big-time game for us and really played well inside,” said Jay Cook. “I’m a little biased toward Jaycie and Jenna [Coaches daughters], but I am their biggest critic and they played well in their first go-round in the sate tournament.”

Kimball had nine points and six rebounds for Rogers Heritage.

BRYANT 74, ROGERS 33

Bryant (17-8) didn’t waste any time in advancing to the second round. The Lady Hornets led Rogers 21-10 after the first quarter, 43-22 at halftime and 64-27 after three quarters.

Parris Atkins led the Lady Hornets with 25 points while Lauren Lain and Brilynn Findley both had 14. Austin Ohlenholt had 8 points.

Bryant, the No. 4 seed from the 6A Central will meet Springdale Har-Ber at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Rogers (13-15) was led by Brooklyn Owens, who had 8 points. Abby Harris had 6 points.

BOYS

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.

SPRNGDALE HAR-BER 66, FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE 42

Springdale Har-Ber lost 66-55 to Fort Smith Northside on Dec. 29 during the Coke Classic in Fort Smith. On Tuesday, the Wildcats turned the tables on the Grizzlies in a first-round matchup.

Har-Ber (19-8) jumped out to a 15-5 lead in the first half and never looked back. Har-Ber meets 6A-West champion Fayetteville at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Northside ends its season at 14-16.

Har-Ber led 40-15 at halftime and 55-33 after three quarters. Northside, which appeared on having the Arkansas Activities Association’s mercy rule being applied when it was down 47-19 at the 5:04 mark of the third quarter, got as close as 18 points when Dae’Marion Savoy drove in late in the third quarter.

However, Har-Ber responded with four consecutive points and was never threatened the rest of the way.

The Wildcats had balanced scoring with Mack Wright leading the way with 16 points, including 13 in the first half. Cameron Mains had 14 points, including 10 in the first half and Miles Rolfe at 14. Nate Kingsbury had 8.

Northside was led by Savoy, who had 12