NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The Bryant Blue Lady Hornets of Bethel Middle School took an early lead on the Rose City Lady Chiefs and never looked back on the way to a 29-16 win on Monday, Feb. 1.
Deserea Duckworth led the way with 11 points and seven rebounds. Jessica Alliston and Andrew Buford each added 4 points, Erica Smith and Rori Whittaker 3 apiece with Katelyn Coppock and Aubrey Allen contributing 2 points each. Smith collected four rebounds, Buford and Allen two apiece.[more]
Bryant led by as much as 18 points in the second half.
“I thought we played very well on defense the first three quarters of the game,” stated Lady Hornets coach Rhonda Hall. “We had a lot of good opportunities on offense but just didn’t finish the way we needed to. Our kids played really hard all night.”
Through three quarters, Bryant Blue had held Rose City to just 9 points. In fact, it was 27-9 with 3:52 left in the game.
The Lady Hornets broke out to an 8-3 lead by the end of the first quarter and held a 13-5 edge at the half.
In the third quarter, it was 16-7 before Smith grabbed an offensive rebound and scored and Duckworth followed with a coast-to-coast drive for a three-point play that made it a 14-point game. After Rose City scored, Duckworth fed Coppock for a basket and, just before the end of the quarter, Allen drilled an 8-footer to make it 25-9.
Buford’s short jumper to start the fourth quarter gave the Lady Hornets their largest lead which Rose City whittled down to 11 before Alliston finished the scoring with a last-second basket.
Bryant Blue is scheduled to play in a jamboree in Benton on Saturday, then play Benton there on Monday.
