Lady Hornets claim Shootout
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Everybody’s getting in on the fun on a night of spills and thrills at the Hornets Nest.
Three players scored in double figures and three more were within a basket of making it as the Bryant Lady Hornets bounced back from their second loss of the season to outlast the rival Benton Lady Panthers, 67-57, and capture the annual Saline County Shootout.
Sophomores Hannah Goshien and Alana Morris led Bryant with 15 and 11 points, respectively, but junior Courtney Mosley came off the bench to add a season-high 10. Junior Anna Simpson and seniors Brittany Mills and Jasmine Carter pitched in with 8 each as the Lady Hornets put together a second-half surge to overcome the Lady Panthers.
But the unsung heroes may have been those parents and supporters who cleaned up a pair of literal spills during the game. Early in the contest, Benton’s Bailey Smith raced out of bounds to try to save an errant pass at the end of the Bryant bench and, in the process of keeping her balance, knocked over a nearly full water cooler setting the first clean-up in motion.
In the fourth quarter with the intensity of the contest at its zenith and Bryant clinging to a 57-50 lead, an order of nachos was spilled on the floor just inside the boundary line. And the second clean-up ensued, stopping the game for a little longer this time. Cheese proved to be tougher challenge.
As for the other action on the court, Benton led by as much as 6 in the first half and the game was still tied 39-39 going into the final 1:30 of the third quarter when the Lady Hornets put together an 8-2 run to gain the upper hand. They eventually led by as much as 14 in the late stages of the contest.
The win improved Bryant to 7-2 on the season going into the Christmas break. They were set to return to action at the Summit Tournament in Hot Springs on Thursday, Dec. 27, at 1 p.m., against Hot Springs Lakeside.
Simpson sparked the Lady Hornets to their late third-quarter push, grabbing the rebound off Morris’ missed free throw and scoring to snap the tie. She then made a steal and, as she was falling to the floor, flipped a pass to Morris who was fouled again. This time, Morris connected on one her charity tosses. At the other end, Benton’s Joanna Curtis misfired on a 3-point try and the Lady Hornets raced to the other end with Simpson slashing to the hoop for another bucket. She then helped force another turnover that Morris cashed in with a drive around a clutch of Benton defenders for a off-hand layup that gave the Lady Hornets a 46-39 lead.
Benton’s Brittany Westerman hit a pair of free throws to stem the tide with :08.2 left in the quarter but Lindsey Cason was fouled at the buzzer and added a free throw with no time on the clock to make it 47-41 going into the final eight minutes.
Benton never fully recovered though the lead was still just 49-45 with 5:43 left in the game. But a three-point play by Mills got Bryant going again and the Lady Panthers began to struggle to score even from the free-throw line.
Carter posted up for a basket to make it 54-45. After Julie Davis hit a free throw for Benton then added a basket on a short jumper, Mills drilled a 3 to bump the margin back to 9. Westerman countered with another pair of free throws after the cheese removal.
Mosley then sparked a clinching run by the Lady Hornets with an offensive rebound basket. She added a pair of free throws after a Benton turnover producing the first double-digit lead of the game. After Morris and Westerman traded free throws, the Lady Hornets began to spread the floor. A free throw by Carter and two by Mills extended the lead to 65-51 with :37.2 to play and the Lady Hornets held on despite 3-pointers by Curtis and Mandi Haltom.
