The East No. 3 seed Mountain Home Lady Bombers started the game on a 12-0 run and that ultimately would doom the West No. 6 seed Benton Lady Panthers in a 47-30 Benton loss Thursday in the first round of the 6A State Tournament at Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy. The Lady Panthers end their season at 17-14 overall.
“They got off to a really good start,” Benton Coach Jerry Chumley said. “We didn’t match that offensive spurt they did to start the game. After that, I thought we played with them.”
Benton junior Italei Gray stopped the Benton bleeding with a 3-pointer at the 1:14 mark of the first quarter to make it a 12-3 game, but the Bombers (19-12) would get a three from senior Alivia O’Brien to make it a 15-3 Mountain Home advantage after one.
The Bombers opened the second quarter with a bucket by senior Vinessa Daniel for the 17-5 lead before Gray picked off a pass and laid it in. After a three by junior Hannah Pfeifer put Mountain Home up 20-5, Lady Panther lone senior Lenzie “Lu” Newman went off. Sophomore Kati Morrow found Newman for a 12-foot jumper and 3-pointer before sophomore Makenzy Davidson fed Newman for a 10-foot jumper to get Benton within 20-12.