*MAKE-UP DATE* Basketball Bentonville v. Van Buren Tuesday, January 21, 2020...

The defending Class 6A state champion Bentonville Tigers are off to a good start this season, and they aren't even fully healthy yet. The Tigers won the Battle for the Bling in Fayetteville before Christmas and also took the Bentonville West Invitational championship. Tristan Stafford (106) was one of four wrestlers to win their respective weight class in Fayetteville, and he also was named Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weights. He's currently undefeated but didn't wrestle at Bentonville West because he was taking the ACT. Jake Adams is also off to a strong start, getting the win at both tournaments. Bentonville coach Jason Adams likes what he's seen thus far from his team. "We had a pretty good preseason that got the guys ready," Adams said. "Overall, our guys have wrestled well. We just need to keep building off that. January's going to be busy." Stafford, the defending state champion and two-time All-American, has filled out some and could even bump to 113 this season, Adams said. "Last year he was 5-10 pounds underweight and still did very well," Adams said. "This year, he's not the smallest 106-pounder in the state. He's not the tiny guy in the bracket. An extra year of growth has really helped him out." The Tigers return nine starters from last year's lineup, two of which have been slowed by injuries this season. They will be tested this weekend at a tournament in Cushing, Okla., which includes stout competition. The Bentonville girls team also has two tournament wins. Adams said the group of 11 girls has worked hard and had a great attitude. "We faced some girls from Missouri who had an extra year of experience, but our girls scrapped with them," Adams said. "They've got the right attitude and work ethic. They just need some more mat time."...

West used a 14-3 run in the third quarter to pull away from Springdale and earn a win on the Bulldogs' home floor. West (6-6, 1-1) led 27-18 at halftime, but Springdale (7-7, 0-2) closed the gap to 29-27 on a Brandon Henry bucket before the Wolverines pulled away. Dillon Bailey had five points and Kade Ruffner added four in West's run, which made it a 43-30 game after a Dax Peterson bucket, and Springdale didn't get any closer than nine over the final 8 minutes. Bailey finished with 23 to lead West while Ruffner added 10. Dominique Hertin paced Springdale with 17 points while Jordan Owens chipped in 10....

Bentonville High used its perimeter game Tuesday after its standout center got into early foul trouble. Natalie Smith scored 20 points as Bentonville opened 6A-West Conference play with a 65-46 victory over Springdale Har-Ber at Wildcat Arena. Smith's production was especially important in the first half when Maryam Dauda, Bentonville's 6-foot-4 junior center, was called for three fouls. Bentonville compensated with its outside game and hit seven 3-pointers in the first half to take a 35-19 lead. Smith made three 3-pointers in the first half while Riley Hayes and Jada Brown contributed two 3s apiece. Dauda finished with 20 points after being charged with only one more foul in the second half. Hayes and Brown each finished with eight points. "With Dauda picking up three fouls in the first half, I couldn't be more pleased with our guards," Bentonville coach Tom Halbmaier said. "They took care of the basketball and hit perimeter shots. That was a good start for us, especially on the road." Dauda avoided additional fouls in the third quarter when she opened the second half with a fastbreak layup. Smith continued her hot shooting with another 3-pointer as Bentonville extended its lead to 48-32 after three quarters. Sophie Nelson and Caylan Koons scored 12 points each to lead Har-Ber. Tuesday's conference opener matched 6A-West teams with the most wins beginning league play. Har-Ber stayed close for awhile with a team that started only one senior. But Bentonville's experience and balanced scoring enabled the Lady Tigers to control much of the game. Dauda was charged with her fourth foul with six minutes, 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter. But the Lady Tigers held a 50-34 lead at the time and completed an important road victory to begin league play. Bentonville 14 21 13 17 -- 65 Springdale Har-Ber 9 10 13 14 -- 46 Bentonville (12-1, 1-0): Smith 20, Dauda 20, Hayes 8, Brown 8, Baum 4, Irlenborn 3, Eaves 2. Har-Ber (10-4, 0-1): Koons 12, Nelson 12, McDaniel 10, Starks 4, Andrew 3, McCrackin 3, Martfeld 2....

It's rare that a victory during the high school nonconference basketball schedule serves as a turning point for a team, but for Bentonville West the Wolverines may very well look back at a mid-December game against Watson Chapel as the landmark outing they needed to resurrect their season. "We just need a victory," Bentonville West Coach Greg White said prior to his team's clash with the Wildcats on Dec. 21 during the John Stanton Classic in Conway. "We've been right there against some really good teams. We're tired of losing. ... we need a victory." ...

JONESBORO -- A 3-minute stretch in the fourth quarter made all the difference for Bentonville's girls Friday night. The Lady Tigers scored the first 14 points of the final quarter to break open a close game and pull away for a 63-52 victory over Jonesboro during the Natural State Hoopfest at Don Riggs Gymnasium. Sophomore guard Jada Brown knocked down six 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 22 points for Bentonville (11-1), which had trouble holding on to the ball in the first half but shot it well enough to keep Jonesboro at bay. "We definitely hurt ourselves by throwing it away so much; that's for sure," said Bentonville coach Tom Halbmaier, whose team committed 12 of their 15 turnovers in the first half. "But I'm glad Jada played the way she played. She played a great game and was under control throughout. "She had one or two mistakes, but for her to play as big as she did was huge." Senior guard Natalie Smith had 14 points, while junior center Maryam Dauda added 12 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks for the Lady Tigers. Junior guard Rylie Hayes added 10 points. Senior guard and University of Tennessee signee Destiny Salary had 18 points and sophomore guard Ereauna Hardaway scored 10 points to lead Jonesboro (6-6). The Lady Tigers held six-point leads on separate occasions in the opening half, but each time, the Lady Hurricane was able to storm back to tie it. Back-to-back baskets from Hardaway and sophomore center Destiny Thomas late in the second quarter tied the game at 18-18 until Brown scored the final five points of the period, including a long 3-pointer from the right wing, to give Bentonville a 23-18 lead at halftime....