By Rob Patrick
Every athlete and every team is spurred on by a big, boisterous home crowd, but perhaps[more] more than any other sport, such a crowd can affect a basketball game. It’s especially true in a small arena like, for instance, the Bryant High School gym, an old-school bandbox that was built back in 1968.
The best example of that is when the fans stuff the gym for Bryant’s annual game against the rival Benton Panthers. The noise adds to the excitement and energy of a good basketball game plus it provides impetus for the home team to turn a 5-0 run into a 10-0 run or to come up with a defensive stop in a crucial moment.
Tonight, the Bryant Hornets and Lady Hornets could use one of those crowds — they’d be more than welcome every home game, in fact. But tonight, both teams face Little Rock Central in games that are vital to their plans to reach the Class 7A State Tournament.
The games mark the end of the first half of the 7A/6A-Central Conference double round robin schedule. The Hornets are 2-4 in the league with three of their losses by less than 5 points. They could pull even with Central in the standings with a win.
The Lady Hornets are 3-3 in the league and need to keep pace with the other teams in the league who have made Central 1-5 so far.
Here are the standings and the power ratings going into tonight’s action (the top six teams in the power rankings at the end of the season advance to State):
7A/6A-CENTRAL CONFERENCE
2011-12 standings
Girls
Conf. Overall
No. Little Rock 6-0 18-2
Cabot 5-1 16-5
Russellville 5-1 14-5
Van Buren 3-3 15-5
BRYANT 3-3 11-9
Conway 1-5 9-9
LR Central 1-5 7-11
Mount St. Mary 0-6 6-12
Tuesday, Jan. 24
North Little Rock 54, Bryant 15
Cabot 65, Van Buren 36
Russellville 60, Conway 33
LR Central 49, Mount St. Mary 40
Friday, Jan. 27
LR Central at Bryant
Cabot at Russellville
Conway at Mount St. Mary
North Little Rock at Van Buren
Friday, Feb. 3
Bryant at Mount St. Mary
Cabot at Conway
LR Central at Van Buren
North Little Rock at Russellville
Girls Ratings
Team Points
North Little Rock 80
Cabot 62
LR Hall 61
West Memphis 45
Bryant 36
Conway 12
LR Central 11
Mount St. Mary 0
7A/6A-CENTRAL CONFERENCE
2011-12 standings
Boys
Conf. Overall
Russellville 6-0 15-4
No. Little Rock 4-2 13-5
Cabot 3-3 12-3
LR Central 3-3 8-9
Conway 2-4 12-7
BRYANT 2-4 10-8
Van Buren 2-4 9-10
LR Catholic 2-4 3-8
Tuesday, Jan. 24
North Little Rock 53, Bryant 58
Cabot 53, Van Buren 46
Russellville 69, Conway 60
LR Catholic 46, LR Central 34
Friday, Jan. 27
LR Central at Bryant
Cabot at Russellville
Conway at LR Catholic
North Little Rock at Van Buren
Friday, Feb. 3
Bryant at LR Catholic
Cabot at Conway
LR Central at Van Buren
North Little Rock at Russellville
Boys Ratings
Team Points
LR Hall 74
North Little Rock 52
LR Central 40
Cabot 39
West Memphis 32
Conway 26
Bryant 25
LR Catholic 13
