Photos by Kevin Nagle
Mary Catherine Selig (13) scored 15 points and collected 14 rebounds in the Bethel Lady Hornets’ win Thursday night. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
BENTON — After leading by as much as 12 early in the second half, the Bryant Blue Lady Hornets eighth grade team of Bethel Middle School found themselves clinging to a 2-point edge with 49 seconds left in their game against the Benton Lady Panthers Thursday night.
But with :37 showing, Kenya Rideout, behind the pressing Benton defense, scored from underneath the bucket to make it a 33-29 advantage.
It was a defensive battle after that. The Lady Panthers turned the ball over but Benton’s Tamia Halk blocked a shot by Bethel’s Mary Catherine Selig. Given another chance to cut the margin, Benton’s Josi Jeffcoat got into the lane only to have the Lady Hornets’ Megan Lee came through with a block.
A held ball followed and was awarded to the Lady Panthers but Zanyah Ailsworth’s shot wouldn’t fall and by then time was running out. Benton fouled Rachel Studdard with :01.9 showing and though she couldn’t get either free throw to go, the 33-29 win was secured.
Selig led Bethel with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Halk led the Lady Panthers with 10 points and seven boards.
Free-throw shooting was at a premium in the game. It wouldn’t have been nearly as close if the Lady Hornets hadn’t hit just 9 of 25 from the line. But then, it might’ve been even closer or a different result altogether had the Lady Panthers done better than 6 of 19 at the stripe.
Ashlyn Thompson (7) fires up a shot over Benton’s A.K. Smith. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Rideout contributed 8 points for Bethel, all in the second half. Studdard had 6, Lauren Burnett and Alyssa Fason 2 each.
The only time the Lady Hornets trailed in the game was 2-0 when Halk got the first bucket. Selig drove for a tying deuce and Studdard hit a jumper to put Bethel ahead. Halk tied it but a 12-footer by Selig put Blue ahead to stay.
It was 7-4 at the first break. Lexi Hollinger’s layup pulled Benton within a point to start the second period but a three-point play by Selig sparked the Lady Hornets who gradually built the lead to 10. Studdard’s steal and layup moments after Selig sank two charity tosses had it 18-8 going into the final minute.
Benton’s Abby Penn hit a free throw to make it a 9-point margin at the half.
To open the third quarter, Selig hit a free throw and Studdard fed Rideout for a basket inside to push the margin to its apex, 21-9.
The Lady Hornets maintained a double-digit margin until Jeffcoat hit a 3 with 2:23 left in the period. Rideout scored again off a feed from Lee in the final minute but Jeffcoat scored again to make it 26-19 going into the last six minutes.
Fason scored with the help of a nice assist from Lauren Burnett at the 5:34 mark but over the next three minutes all the Lady Hornets could muster was a free throw by Studdard as Benton rallied, whittling the margin to 29-25 before Rideout grabbed the rebound off a teammate’s miss and scored with 2:34 to go.
Halk scored the next two baskets to trim it to 31-29.
Bethel improved to 4-6 on the season with its next outing against the Anthony School on Thursday, Jan. 22.
