If win-loss records tell you anything about a team, then the Bryant White Hornets eighth grade team of 2020-21 may be the best eighth grade team ever in Bryant. Records are sketchy beyond the last 10 years but it’s hard to imagine too many teams, if any, that have posted a 16-1 record going into their final game.
The Hornets finished off their home schedule on Monday night with a 53-25 win over the rival Benton Panthers. It was their 12th win in a row.
“I will say, it’s one of the best eighth grade teams I’ve coach, for sure so far,” said Hornets coach Richard Wrightner. “They want it. They want the bragging rights, I guess. They want to be the best.”
In their previous meeting with Benton on Jan. 11, the Hornets had to eke out a 23-21 victory.
“Totally different outcome from the first time we played them,” Wrightner acknowledged. “We rebounded better. We didn’t turn the ball over as much. We converted on the turnovers that we forced, which was the big thing.
“Our intensity was just up,” he noted. “The effort was there. We shot the ball well, really well.”
The Hornets forced 25 turnovers. In the first half, when they built a 32-12 lead, they shot 50 percent from the field (13 of 26) including five 3-pointers. Elem Shelby led the team with 18 points including four 3’s in the game. Tristan Knox had 8, Cedric Jones 7 and Chris Johnson 5. Dylan Holman scored 4 points and hauled down nine rebounds as the Hornets finished with a 33-23 edge on the boards including 19 on the offensive end.
Benton was paced by Elias Payne’s 14 points. No one else had more than 4 points.
The Panthers led only briefly. Daniel Anderson scored the first points off an assist from Knox. But Payne hit a 3 to give his team a 3-2 lead.
Knox countered with a triple that put the Hornets ahead to stay. Johnson made a steal and wound up with a three-point play to make it 8-3.
After a timeout, Benton got another 3 from Payne but, at the other end, Shelby poured in an answer from deep to start a 20-0 run. Shelby hit the offensive glass for a basket and followed up with another trey. He then fed Holman for a basket inside to make it 18-6. When Jones beat the buzzer with a 3, the lead was 21-6 going into the second quarter.
The blitz resumed with a layup by Johnson, a steal by Kaleb Ellis and a 3 from Shelby. Another offensive-rebound bucket by Shelby with 3:35 left in the half, made it 28-6.
Benton had to have another timeout and over the final three minutes the Panthers managed four free throws by Maddox Davis. But the Hornets countered with a stickback by Jones, a jumper in the lane by Holman then a running jay by Shelby to make it 32-12 at the half. Holman blocked a last second shot by Benton in the final seconds.
Holman scored off the offensive glass to start the third quarter but then Benton made a push. But they could only cut the margin to 15.
Knox hit a pair of free throws and followed up with a three-point play. When Shelby drained his last triple with just over two minutes to play, the margin was 42-19. Payne and Jones traded baskets before the end of the quarter. Bryant White held a 44-21 advantage.
In the fourth quarter, Preston Porchia, Josh Kearny, Jayden Welch and Cairo Terry added to the Bryant total. Welch hit a 3.
The Hornets wrap up their season at Cabot South on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
HORNETS 53, PANTHERS 25
Eighth grade
Benton 6 6 9 4 — 25
BRYANT WHITE 21 11 12 9 — 53
PANTHERS 25
Godley 0-1 0-0 0, Payne 5-13 0-0 14, Browning 1-7 1-2 3, Grey 0-3 0-0 0, Hutchison 1-4 0-0 2, Woolbright 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 0-0 4-4 4, Pope 1-4 0-0 2, Wright 0-1 0-0 0, Jacorelli 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 8-34 (24%) 5-6 (83%) 25.
HORNETS 53
Johnson 2-6 1-1 5, Shelby 7-10 0-0 18, Holman 2-6 0-0 4, Knox 2-4 3-3 8, Anderson 1-4 0-0 2, Jones 3-8 0-0 7, Ellis 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 0-2 0-2 0, Baker 0-2 0-2 0, Knight 0-2 0-0 0, Kearny 1-2 0-0 2, Porchia 1-1 0-0 2, Terry 1-1 0-0 2, Welch 1-2 0-0 3, Vandeventer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 (41%) 4-8 (50%) 53.
Three-point field goals: Bryant White 7-18 (Shelby 4-6, Jones 1-5, Knox 1-1, Welch 1-1, Holman 0-2, Johnson 0-1, Knight 0-1, Vandeventer 0-1), Benton 4-15 (Payne 4-10, Browning 0-4, Grey 0-1). Turnovers:Bryant White 16, Benton 25. Rebounds: Bryant White 19-14 33 (Holman 4-5 9, Moore 4-1 5, Knox 3-1 4, Shelby 2-1 3, Jones 2-1 3, Baker 1-2 3, Terry 1-1 2, Johnson 0-1 1, Anderson 1-0 1, Ellis 0-1 1, team 1-0 1), Benton 10-13 23 (Payne 3-2 5, Pope 3-2 5, Hutchinson 2-1 3, Woolbright 1-1 2, Wright 2-0 2, Browning 0-1 1, Grey 0-1 1, Jacorelli 0-1 1, team 0-3 3). Team fouls: Bryant White 6, Benton 8.
