CARTHAGE, Mo. — Bentonville got hot from the perimeter early on the way to a 50-32 win over the Carthage girls basketball team on the final day of the Lady Tigers Invitational Shootout on Saturday.
With both teams heading into the final day with 2-0 records in the tourney, Bentonville knocked down three shots from deep in the first quarter to help build a nine-point lead and continued to convert from deep for a 30-14 lead at halftime.
“The first quarter really dug us a hole too big to get out of,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “After that, it was a pretty even ball game. The second quarter was 13-8 and the second half was 20-18. The first half, they shot like it was their gym and we shot like it was a foreign gym. … Our energy and effort was there, our shots just weren’t going in.”
Bentonville stretched its lead to more than 20 for the first time with 2:45 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from Olivia Rustad to make the score 38-16, outscoring Carthage 14-2 in the third period to an insurmountable lead en route to the win.
Bentonville totaled 10 3-pointers in the win over Carthage.
Bentonville’s Ella Campbell started the game’s scoring with a 3-pointer and didn’t slow down, converting four times from long range in the first half and six times total in the win on the way to 20 points as the catalyst. Anna Kulka and Sam Rhuda each added six.
Maggie Boyd led Carthage with 11 points, while Jaidyn Brunnert had six. Lauren Choate and Kianna Yates each finished with five.
Carthage (3-1) continues its season with a road matchup at Lamar on Tuesday.
WEBB CITY 42, OLATHE EAST 35
Webb City capped its Lady Tigers Invitational Shootout with a win over Olathe East on Saturday.
The Cardinals (2-1) took a 30-24 lead into the final eight minutes of play and converted eight times from the free-throw line in the fourth period, including several inside the final minute to seal the win.
Kate Brownfield led Webb City with 17 points, while Sami Mancini closed with 11 points. Izzy Lopez closed with eight points.
Webb City is at McDonald County on Tuesday.
EL DORADO SPRINGS 67, SUNRISE CHRISTIAN 47
El Dorado Springs outscored Sunrise Christian 14-4 in the second period to build a cushion on the way to a win over Sunrise Christian in the opening game on the third day of the Lady Tigers Invitational Shootout.
Macie Mays led the charge for El Dorado, scoring 12 of her game-high 34 points in the second period. She converted three times from the perimeter in the win. Neely Schaaf added 13 points in the loss.
Kaitlyn Edwards led Sunrise Christian with 22 points, while Annika Moore closed with nine.
Lady Tigers Shootout All-Tournament Team
Ella Campbell – Bentonville
Kaitlyn Edwards – Sunrise Christian
Sami Mancini – Webb City
Braylee Rogers – Olathe East
Neely Schaaf – El Dorado Springs
Kianna Yates – Carthage
Macie Mays – El Dorado Springs (Most Valuable Player)
Lady Tigers Shootout
Thursday’s results
Webb City 39, El Dorado Springs 35
Bentonville 64, Sunrise Christian 34
Carthage 44, Olathe East 34
Friday’s results
Bentonville 54, Webb City 42
El Dorado Springs 54, Olathe East 46
Carthage 67, Sunrise Christian 46
Saturday’s results
El Dorado Springs 67, Sunrise Christian 47
Webb City 42, Olathe East 35
Bentonville 50, Carthage 32
