The Bryant White Lady Hornets seventh grade team of Bryant Middle School improved to 8-1 on the season with a 32-19 win over Cabot South at the BMS gym on Tuesday night.
Austyn Oholendt scored 14 points to lead the way. Brailey Kellum scored 9, Aniston Sweet had 6. Madison Loggins pitched in with 2 and Hailey Calhoun added a free throw.
Bryant White built an 11-6 lead by the end of the first quarter.
“We took an early lead but allowed Cabot South to get rebounds and beat us back on transition,” said Ben Perry, the White eighth grade coach who subbed in for seventh-grade coach Deanna Ward. “We adjusted and took the press to Cabot and we soon put the game away.”
It was 17-10 at the half.
“In the locker room, I encouraged the girls to come out and set a tone in the third quarter and they responded well,” Perry related.
It was 28-14 going into the fourth quarter.
“They are a great group of girls and I look forward to having the opportunity to coach them next year. Coach Ward has done a great job of getting them ready for every game this season.
The Lady Hornets were 5 of 13 from the free-throw line while Cabot South went 2 for 3.
“The girls did a great job of driving the lane and causing Cabot to find a way to stop us which was to foul,” Perry said. “We need to do a better job shooting free throws, but I always love it when we make more than they shoot.”
Bryant White hosts Benton on Thursday.
“I was more than happy to sub for Coach Ward,” Perry mentioned. “It is very different coaching a team without practice knowledge or how certain girls react to certain situations. However, Coach Ward gave me much-needed information about players and what they run that is similar to what we run.
“Coach (Brad) Matthews (high school head coach) has done a great job this year in making sure we as a program are on the same page of what we run and what language is used,” he added. “Because of that, it makes it easier to stop in. You know the offenses and defenses and some of the inbounds that are used and what they are called.”
