CONWAY — After leading for only a few seconds in regulation and nearly the first minute of overtime, the Conway Blue Wampus Cats freshman team closed with a 9-0 run to add to the OT blues of the Bryant Hornets freshmen on Wednesday night. The 60-53 loss was the fourth of the season for the Hornets, who have lost only one other game all season. They take a 10-5 record into their Central Arkansas Junior High Conference opener at Cabot North on Thursday.
The game, played at Buzz Bolding Arena, was a make-up date from a game that was postponed by icy conditions on Jan. 9. Though the two teams are league rivals, only the second run through the league is counted in the conference standings. The two teams will play their league contest on Feb. 13, the final regular-season game of the season.
Conway led 45-44 with just over 2:30 to go in regulation with a basket off a missed free throw turned a potential 3-point play into a 4-point trip and a 6-0 run for the Cats. But Bryant came back with a layup by Kaleb Turner as they beat the Conway press to regain the advantage. A steal by Calvin Allen led to another Turner layup and a 48-45 lead.
Conway answered then both teams suffered turnovers. Allen added a free throw to make it a 2-point lead with :57.3 showing then came up with another theft that Turner cashed in on the run to make it 51-47 with :28.4 to go.
Conway answered and, after a timeout, Allen was knocked to the ground in the front court. Thinking a foul would be called, he fired up a long shot that fell well beyond the goal. And when no foul was called, Conway had the ball.
With :14 to go, the Cats tied it and had a chance to take the lead with a three-point play. But the free throw came off the rim and Bryant’s Kyle Sahr rebounded. With :09 left, however, the Hornets suffered a turnover and, after a desperation attempt at a 3 was off course, the game went to overtime.
Allen, who finished with 6 points, five assists and three steals, drove for a basket on the first possession of the extra period. He was fouled but it was ruled that the infraction came before he got the shot off. So instead of a three-point play opportunity, he went to the line for a one-and-one. He made both shots to give the Hornets a 53-51 lead with 2:37 left but that proved to be the last they would score.
Turner led the Hornets with 15 points. Marvin Moody and Trey Ashmore added 7 each. Sahr matched Calvin Allen’s 6. Brandon Harris had 5, Caylin Allen 3, Garrett Coward and Hunter Handly 2 each.
The game was tight throughout. It was tied six times including at the end of regulation. Conway’s last lead before the final stages of the game was a 6-5 in the first quarter. Moody’s short jumper off a nice feed from Cowart game the Hornets the lead. Conway then tied it at 7. But in the final minute of the opening period, Calvin Allen drove for a basket and Turner made a steal and layup to make it 11-7. It was 11-9 going into the second quarter.
Bryant’s largest lead was 8 thanks to a 9-3 run to open the second period. Turner canned a 15-footer and, after a pair of Conway free throws, Handly knocked down a pair at the line then combined with Turner to force a turnover that led to another layup by Turner and a 17-11 advantage.
The Hornets forced another turnover and had a chance to make it a three-possession game but Turner’s shot wouldn’t go down. However, after another free throw for the Cats, Caylin Allen fired a 3 that banked in for a 20-12 margin.
By the end of the half, though, Conway Blue had rallied to within 20-18. And the Cats tied it with the first basket of the third quarter.
Ashmore took a feed from Turner and came through with a three-point play to return the lead to the Hornets. After a Conway miss, Moody found Ashmore with a nice interior pass and another basket to make it 25-20.
The two teams traded points after that for most of the third quarter. Moody and Ashmore scored, Harris drove for a bucket then Moody scored off a drive to make it 34-30 going into the final minute. Sahr added a pair of free throws after a Conway basket but the Cats made it 36-34 going into the final period.
It was 38-37 with just over four minutes to play when Turner hit a free throw and, after a Conway miss, Harris buried a triple to extend the lead to 5. A basket by Conway was answered by another by Turner, making it 44-39 going into the final three minutes. That’s when Conway went on its 6-0 burst to take the brief lead that led to the final scenario.
