Benton girls pull away late to claim district championship over Lafayette

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A cross-town rivalry took center stage once again Saturday as Benton and Lafayette met for the Class 4 District 16 girls’ basketball championship, one night after their boys' teams squared off for the same title.

In a hard-fought battle, the Cardinals pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Fighting Irish 17-3 to secure their spot in the Class 4 Sectional round next Tuesday with a 45-33 victory.

"That's exactly what you wanted to see, something that was going to go back and forth all game long," Benton head coach Chris Michaels said. "We outlasted them today. I would say that they toughed us out a couple of times and then we toughed them out. That's a very good basketball game."

The opening quarter was a defensive struggle, with both teams working through early nerves and adjusting to the game's pace. After Lafayette struck first, Eliana Arambula put Benton on the board with a right-corner 3-pointer for a 3-2 lead.

Arambula made another key play to close the first, driving through contact for an and-one just before the buzzer. Her ability to attack the basket helped the Cardinals build a 10-6 advantage.

The second quarter brought more offensive rhythm. Jalynn Brown electrified the crowd by keeping a possession alive near the baseline, dishing the ball to a teammate, then drifting to the corner to knock down a 3-pointer.

Lafayette relied on outside shooting to stay within reach. Rozlyn McDevitt hit a left-corner 3-pointer to trim the deficit to five, and Delaney McQuiston followed with a deep shot of her own to make it 20-18 at halftime.

While Arambula carried the early scoring load, she was held to just two points in the second quarter. Andrea Simmons, meanwhile, went scoreless in the first half, but Benton never saw that as a concern.

"We've got three or four stars that are just studs, and they're going to get theirs, and it's really hard to stop them," Michaels said. "The problem is that anybody else can score just as well, so you help off of one, and we'll just bang it in the corner."

Lafayette’s defensive intensity ramped up after halftime. Laniya Carriger and McDevitt each recorded multiple blocks, disrupting Benton’s offensive flow. The Cardinals managed just eight third-quarter points while the Fighting Irish put up 12, briefly seizing momentum.

But in the fourth, Benton took control. Timely buckets and free throws allowed the Cardinals to separate, as Lafayette’s offense stalled.

"I don't care who's on the other bench, we're going after you," Michaels said. "We just saw somebody that didn't give up and just kept fighting. Can you outfight us in the end? It's very south-endery, right? South of the tracks, that's kind of how we work."

With the win, Benton advances to the sectional round on Tuesday, continuing its postseason journey.