Landyn Newburn pumped in 17 points and Will Diggins scored 14 to go with 10 rebounds as the Bryant White Hornets eighth-grade team of Bryant Middle School earned a 47-35 victory over the Benton Panthers eighth-graders on Tuesday night.
Bryant also won a seventh-grade game, 38-22, over Benton.
The White Hornets’ eighth grade improved to 9-3 as they bounced back from their worst loss of the season to an over-powering Sylvan Hills team last week.
Thursday’s game started like it might now go so well, according to Hornets coach John Harrison.
“Benton came out and, in the first three minutes of the game, dominated us,” he said. “Once we scored the ball and got into our press, we controlled the tempo and turned them over.”
Bryant was down 7 but went on a 14-0 run and never trailed again.
“Landyn Newburn was very active in our press,” Harrison said. “Khasen Robinson finished with 11 points and did a great job handling the ball under pressure.”
In the seventh-grade game, Cori Nichols led the way with 12 points. Jordan Knox had 10 and Braylen Montgomery 6.
“We played really well in the first half and jumped out to a big lead,” Harrison said. “Our seventh graders are very talented and are getting better each game.”
The Bryant White eighth-grade team plays again on Thursday at Conway Blue before the freshman games. The seventh-grade team is set to play next against Bryant Blue of Bethel Middle School on Monday, Jan. 29.
