Bentonville didn’t have its standout guard, but the Tigers had an extensive collection of others who helped carry the load in their season opener.
Hayden Shanks hit two free throws with 7.3 seconds left as Bentonville came away with a 61-59 victory over Marion during the Hoopin’ 4 Hoodies Showcase on Saturday at Maumelle’s Hornet Gymnasium.
Owen Dehrmann scored a game-high 24 points, including a key steal and conversion with 17 seconds remaining, to power Bentonville (1-0), which was forced to play without all-star junior Jaylen Lee. However, the Tigers’ stand-ins moved to the forefront when they needed them to against one of the state’s best.
Abel Hutchinson scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Xander Collins, Caden Miller and Harrison Hicks each had six points. Miller also added 9 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 steals while Dehrmann had 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks.
“Like I always tell our guys, we try to pride ourselves in that the best player on our team is our team,” Bentonville Coach Dick Rippee said. “With Jaylen out with the flu, it was a good opportunity for our guys to step up. We got tested today against a really, really good Marion team. We took some blows, but we just kept answering.
“The resiliency for our guys was tremendous, and we needed that.”
Bentonville also needed everything it got out of Dehrmann because Marion (2-1) gave it all it could handle.
The Tigers led 19-13 midway through the second quarter before a short jumper from Jayden Forrest kick-started an 11-0 run that put the Patriots ahead for the first time. The Tigers answered by scoring seven of the last nine points of the half, punctuated by a basket from Dehrmann, to tie the game at 26-26 at the half.
Dehrmann would later score 10 points in the third quarter and opened the fourth with a basket to give Bentonville at 48-42. Marion, though, had a response.
A three-pointer from Forrest began a 10-0 spurt that gave the Patriots a 52-48 lead. Marion still led 56-53 with less than two minutes left when Dehrmann scored six consecutive points, not to mention his swipe and lay-up late that put the Tigers ahead 59-56. Darrion Love, who came out after Forrest was injured on a three-point attempt, knocked down three free throws with 7.7 second to go until Shanks hit his pair from the line following a foul on the inbound pass. A last-second shot from Marion sailed wide of the rim at the horn.
“I’m just really proud of my guys,” Rippee said. “Obviously without Jaylen, that changes our team, but we fought. Marion’s a quality team, and they’ve got some guys that can really play. They’re well-coached. … they’re a handful. But for us, I think we got better today, and that’s what I was hoping for.”
Forrest finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, and Ryan Forrest supplied 21 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks before fouling out late for the Patriots.
