PREP BASKETBALL
Boys Bentonville 80, Milwaukee Rufus King 61
Malik Monk had 28 points to lead four Bentonville players in double figures, and the Tigers took seventh place in the Max-Preps Holiday Classic with a win Wednesday night against Rufus King.
Bentonville (7-3) trailed 25-21 at one point in the second quarter but used an 18-5 run to take a 39-30 halftime lead. The Tigers then used two buckets by Tyler Robinson and one by Asa Hutchinson to extend that cushion to 45-30 to start the second half and led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter.
The Generals (7-3) did make a run and cut it back to 55-48 on a Jordan Poole 3-pointer, but a Jordan Hemphill bucket and a putback by Hutchinson before the buzzer sounded gave Bentonville a 59-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Robinson added 22 points while Hutchinson had 11 and Hemphill 10 for Bentonville, which returns home to begin 7A-West Conference play next week against Fort Smith Southside. Poole led King with 26 points, while Virshon Cotton chipped in 11.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
John Brown 82, The Master’s (Calif.) 67
Ricky Roberts recorded his first career double-double and helped John Brown take a nonconference victory Wednesday night over The Master’s in Santa Clarita, Calif.
Roberts finished with 17 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, giving the junior double-digit scoring in 13 of John Brown’s 14 games this season. Griffin Brady led the Golden Eagles (7-7) with 19 points and added eight rebounds while senior Luke Moyer had 16 points and a team-high six assists.
John Brown jumped out to a 16-4 lead on the strength of 3-pointers by Moyer, Brady and Jake Caudle of Bentonville, and the Golden Eagles by as many as 17 points in the first half. The Master’s did rally and get within five before John Brown settled for a 39-31 halftime lead.
Reid Shackleford led the Mustangs with 16 points and three rebounds while JP Webster added 13 and nine, just missing the double-double. Kaleb Anderon came off the bench to post 12 points and seven boards in the loss.
The Golden Eagles return to conference play next week when they take on Mid-America Christian in Oklahoma City.