Though both teams were banged up going into the Christmas break, the Bryant High School varsity basketball teams are set to return to competition this weekend with a pair of holiday tournaments.
The Hornets will be playing in the revived King Cotton Classic at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. They’ll start Friday at 4 p.m., against a team from Centennial High School in Corona, Calif. The Huskies are 10-2 on the season, according to MaxPreps, and ranked sixth in the nation.
The Hornets come into the game off a 71-58 loss to Izard County Consolidated at the Stanton Classic in Conway. But they were without starters Trey Payne and A.J. Jenkins. Bryant is 6-3.
It’ll be the fourth out-of-state team the Hornets have tackled this season after playing teams from Georgia, Texas and Tennessee in the Rumble on the Ridge in Forrest City earlier this season.
The Lady Hornets will make their annual trek to Beebe for the Lady Badgers’ holiday tourney. They’ll open up on Friday at 10 a.m., against Little Rock McClellan.
Bryant is 5-3 but had several players unavailable in its last game, a 62-38 loss to Farmington, in Fayetteville. The Lady Hornets and McClellan’s Lady Lions (3-3) have one common opponent, Hot Springs. Both teams beat the Lady Trojans by one point. Bryant’s win came despite the absence of three starters.
Here are the brackets for the tournaments:
KING COTTON CLASSIC
Dec. 27-30
At the Pine Bluff Convention Center
Friday, Dec. 27
Game 1 — Chicago Orr Academy vs. Raymond, Miss., 2:30 p.m.
Game 2 — Bryant vs. Centennial Corona, Calif., 4 p.m.
Game 3 — Jacksonville vs. Memphis Wooddale, 5:20 p.m.
Game 4 — LR Parkview vs. Fort Lauderdale Nova Southeastern, 8:45 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 28
Game 5 — Game 1 loser vs. game 6 loser
Game 6 — Game 3 loser vs. game 2 loser
Game 7 — Game 1 winner vs. game 4 winner
Game 8 — Game 3 winner vs. game 2 winner
Monday, Dec. 30
Game 9 — Game 6 winner vs. game 5 loser
Game 10 — Game 5 winner vs. game 6 loser
Game 11 — Game 7 loser vs. game 8 loser
Game 12 — Game 7 winner vs. game 8 winner
BEEBE HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Dec. 27-30
Beebe High School
Friday, Dec. 27
Game 1 – Bryant vs. Little Rock McClellan, 10 a.m.
Game 2 — Cabot vs. Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Game 3 — Harding Academy vs. Greenbrier, 4 p.m.
Game 4 — Beebe vs. Benton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 28
Game 5 — Game 2 loser vs. game 3 loser, 10 a.m.
Game 6 — Game 1 loser vs. game 4 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 7 — Game 2 winner vs. game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 1 winner vs. game 4 winner, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 30
Game 9 — Game 5 loser vs. game 6 loser, 10 a.m.
Game 10 — Game 5 winner vs. game 6 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 11 — Game 7 loser vs. game 8 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 12 — Game 7 winner vs. game 8 winner, 7 p.m.
