PEARCY — James Billingsley went 11 of 11 at the free-throw line on his way to a team high 15 points while Devin Jenkins and Alex Shelly each knocked down a trio of 3-points as the Bryant Blue Hornets eighth grade team of Bethel Middle School opened the 2018-19 season with a 42-36 victory at Lake Hamilton on Monday night.
“I was very pleased with the performance for the first game of the year,” said Hornets coach Steve Wilson. “Several players have shown marked improvements since last year.”
The game was tied 9-9 after a quarter then the Hornets surged to a 20-15 lead at the half as Jenkins came off the bench to hit all three of his treys in the first half.
“Devin Jenkins came in off the bench to give us a spark with three 3’s and a lot of hustle, diving on the floor and taking charges,” Wilson said. “Alex Skelly took up the 3-point slack in the second half.”
Skelly finished with 11 points in the game. Jenkins had 9. Elijah Thompson had 5 .
“Evin Love played good defense,” the coach noted.
Bryant Blue led 30-27 going into the fourth quarter. Billingsley scored 9 of his points in the final stanza including five free throws.
Bethel’s boys, along with the eighth-grade girls and the seventh grade, travels to Sheridan on Tuesday.
BalckWigger19@jsdugjs.com
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