For more photos from this event by Kevin Nagle, go here
Cade Drennan lofts a shot over a Lake Hamilton defender. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
PEARCY — The Bryant Hornets freshman team was in attack mode Monday night. In the first three minutes of the game, Keith Merriweather Jr., Darrick Rose and O.J. Newburn had three-point plays and, in the opening moments of the second half, so did Ethan Hilkert.
That’s not only illustrative of the team’s aggressiveness, it’s indicative of the way the scoring was passed around as the Hornets improved to 2-0 in Central Arkansas Junior High Conference play with a 48-24 romp over the Lake Hamilton Wolves freshmen at the nice new Lake Hamilton gym.
Seventeen players got into the game for the Hornets and 15 of them contributed to the scoring. No one player scored more than Newburn’s 8 points. Merriweather and Kayleb West finished with 5 each. Colby Washington, Jonathan Hall and Cade Drennan had 4 apiece. Hall led all rebounders with eight.
Colby Washington scoops up a shot in traffic. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
“My guys are real strong kids and I tell them go downhill,” said Bryant coach Tyler Posey. “Be in attack mode all the time. We’re not going to play like robots. We’re going to stay in attack mode. They did a really good job of that tonight.
“We applied a lot of pressure and that’s something we’re going to use to our advantage,” he added. “We’re very athletic and I want to use that to our advantage and tonight we did. We got all over them and they were very uncomfortable with the basketball. That’s how we want to make them every game, every possession.”
The Hornets were coming off a break for Thanksgiving but they weren’t off the entire time.
“We practiced twice, got after it, fixed some things that were wrong last week,” Posey said. “We got some good work in.”
The trio of three-point plays and an opening basket by Catrell Wallace produced an 11-4 lead. Merriweather hit a pull-up jay off a drive then Washington converted a pair of free throws as the lead grew to 15-4. After Lake Hamilton scored, Drennan knocked down a 10-footer off a feed from Marqelle Barnes to make it 17-6.
Keyshawn Scott tosses up a jumper. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Barnes hit a layup off a Lake Hamilton turnover to start the second quarter. After another Wolves’ miscue, Drennan drove to the basket and was fouled. When he only got one free throw, Posey questioned the official who informed him that the shot had gone in. The coach decided not to argue the point, though it appeared to be an error.
It would not prove to be a difference maker.
Daniel Walter hit a tough layup to answer a Lake Hamilton basket. After the Wolves scored again, Rose made a steal and Hall swept the offensive board for his first basket.
Moments later, Hall hauled down another carom off a teammate’s miss and scored to make it 27-12 at the half.
Hilkert’s three-point play countered a 3 from Lake Hamilton that opened the second half. The teams traded baskets in the third quarter. Newburn drained a triple and scored inside before Ahmad Adams pitched in with a free throw to make it 36-21 going into the final quarter.
Ahmad Adams fights through a trio of Lake Hamilton defenders to get a shot away. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
West hit a layup off a steal by Colby Washington to start the fourth. Barnes then fed Washington for a bucket to make it 40-21, forcing a Lake Hamilton timeout with 4:59 left in the game.
The Hornets, with their starters on the bench, held the Wolves to just three free throws after that. West answered one of those free throws with a 3. Tre’Vun Herron hit a free throw to make it 44-22.
In the final minute, Ethan Loomis drained a 12-foot jumper and Keshawn Scott drove for a layup to finish off the rout.
Now 3-3 overall, the Hornets face an early first-place showdown with North Little Rock at home on Thursday.
HORNETS 48, WOLVES 24
Freshman boys basketball
Score by quarters
BRYANT 17 10 9 12 — 48
Lake Hamilton 8 4 9 3 — 24
Darrick Rose (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
HORNETS 48
Rose 1-2 1-1 3, Merriweather 2-2 1-1 5, Newburn 3-4 1-1 8, Wallace 1-1 0-0 2, Hilkert 1-2 1-1 3, C.Washington 1-1 2-2 4, Barnes 1-1 0-0 2, West 2-3 0-0 5, Drennan 2-5 0-0 4, Walter 1-2 0-0 2, D.Washington 0-0 0-0 0, Hall 2-2 0-1 4, Scott 1-4 0-0 2, Jenkins 0-0 0-0 0, Adams 0-2 1-2 1, Loomis 1-1 0-0 2, Herron 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 19-34 8-11 48.
WOLVES 24
Milstead 0-1 2-2 2, Sassaman 1-5 0-0 2, Hill 3-9 1-2 8, Stackey 3-4 0-0 6, Winston 1-1 0-2 2, Jackson 1-3 0-0 2, Hartness 0-1 2-4 2, Vaughn 0-0 0-0 0, Albrecht 0-3 0-2 0, Brooks 0-0 0-0 0, Tiller 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 9-29 5-12 24.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 2-6 (Newburn 1-2, West 1-1, Drennan 0-1, Scott 0-1), Lake Hamilton 1-6 (Hill 1-4, Sassaman 0-1, Albrecht 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant 13, Lake Hamilton 13. Rebounds: Bryant 10-19 29 (Hall 2-6 8, Herron 0-3 3, Wallace 1-1 2, Barnes 1-1 2, West 1-1 2, Drennan 1-1 2, D.Washington 2-0 2, Merriweather 0-1 1, Hilkert 0-1 1, C.Washington 0-1 1, Walter 0-1 1, Jenkins 0-1 1, Adams 1-0 1, team 1-1 2), Lake Hamilton 5-10 15 (Sassaman 2-1 3, Hill 3-0 3, Albrecht 2-1 3, Milstead 0-1 1, Stackey 0-1 1, Hartness 0-1 1, Vaughn 0-1 1, Tiller 1-0 1, team 0-1 1). Team fouls: Bryant 14, Lake Hamilton 14.
