Lady Bulldogs remain focused
Posted on Friday, February 8, 2008
Games against Fort Smith Northside and Southside loom large on next week's schedule, but the Fayetteville Lady Bulldogs aren't looking past tonight's meeting with Bentonville.
Next Tuesday's tilt with Northside will probably decide who gets one of the conference's two first-round byes at the upcoming 7 A State Tournament in Con- way. To ensure the significance of that game, Fayetteville (19-4, 8-2 ) needs to take care of business tonight at Bentonville (10-12, 3-6 ).
The Lady Tigers were more than game during the first meeting at Bulldog Gym, forcing Fayetteville to make clutch plays down the stretch of the Lady Bulldogs' 43-32 win.
"It was an incredibly contested game at our place," said Bobby Smith, Fayetteville coach. "In our minds hopefully it doesn't do anything but prove the quality of Bentonville's basketball team. I don't think we're looking anywhere except [Thursday's ] practice.
"Their talent level is very high athletically, no doubt about it. We had to make some late free throws at the end. It was just an incredible physical battle."
Senior Mary Beth Farrish has borne the brunt of opponents' physical play this season, as evidenced by the black eye the 5-7 point guard recently incurred. The shiner came during Fayetteville's 57-31 win last Tuesday at Springdale.
"She actually looked pretty good [Wednesday ]," Smith said. "[Her eye ] was still a little puffy. She practiced well, so she's OK."
Farrish's black eye was preceded by a hard spill earlier in the year at Northside and a tender ankle that she's had to endure for most of the season. Overlaying the ankle with a generous amount of tape has allowed Farrish to play through the pain.
"She's pretty tough," Smith said of his gritty point guard. "She gets dealt a lot of punishment. People hack on her and beat on her. She leads our team in charges taken."
Farrish invariably draws the toughest per imeter assignment on defense and does the job with aplomb. During a three-game span she checked Van Buren's Erin Gatling, Springdale Har-Ber's Epiphany Smith and Rogers' Morgan Hook. All three have accepted or been offered Division I scholarships.
Smith attributed Farrish's defensive prowess to her strong will. To keep that determination from ebbing, he rested Farrish last Tuesday at Springdale, bringing her off the bench.
"I don't know how to explain it other than she just tries really hard," Smith said. "If our game plan is to get over the top of a screen, she just fights and claws and does her best. She has been a little bit beat up. I could see that she was starting to get tired, so I gave her a little rest."
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