With :04 left to play, Mark Winn hit a free throw to tie the game then another to provide the winning margin in the Bryant Blue Hornets‘ 47-46 thriller over Conway White in eighth grade action at[more] Bryant Middle School on Thursday night.
The Bryant Blue team from Bethel Middle School includes Jake Acord, Austin Green, Ryan Hall, Jason Hastings, Brushawn Hunter, Andrew Kincaid, Blaine Knight, Brian Tackett, Paul Tierney, Brandon Warner, John Winn, Mark Winn, Dylan Wolfe and Brendan Young.
“It was an unbelievable game,” declared head coach Derek McGrew. “It was a great environment and we beat a great team. Conway White was the only team that beat us last year and they moved up a seventh grade player this year to go with that team. And the seventh grade player turned out to be their best player. He led them with 16 points including a monster dunk in the first quarter. (Not bad for a seventh grader.) He is supposed to be one of the best seventh graders in the state.
“I am so proud of my team,” he added. “They refused to lose. We played our game, hard-nosed half-court defense, transition offense, and aggressive on the offensive end. We shot excellent at the free-throw line (19 of 22). It was a big-time victory.”
John Winn pumped in 24 points to lead all scorers. Warner added 12, Mark Winn 8 and Hastings 3.
The Hornets trailed 11-6 at the end of the first quarter but, by halftime, had forged a 24-17 advantage. They led 33-30 going into the final period.
Bryant Blue returns to the Wildcat Classic at Episcopal Collegiate in Little Rock at 5 p.m., today to play Little Rock Christian.
