Searcy can’t stay with Bryant girls
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
CONWAY — Initially, it looked like the Bryant Lady Hornets would hardly miss a beat. Despite a break for Christmas, they left the Searcy Lady Lions in the dust of an 18-2 run to start the game in the first round of the Lady Cat Classic at Conway High School on Tuesday, Dec. 28.
In fact, it might’ve been too easy as Searcy rallied to eventually cut the lead to 3 before the Lady Hornets, who improved to 11-0, secured a 61-36 victory to advance to the tourney semifinals on Wednesday against Pulaski Academy.
“We got off to a really good start then probably five or six minutes into the third quarter I thought we had four or five minutes that we played really good,” noted Lady Hornets coach Rhonda Hall. “A lot of the things were typical of your first game back after Christmas, frustrations that you’ve learned to get over and you have to do that again. In some ways, you’re starting over. It comes back quicker but, in that small time you’re off, you lose your concentration some. I think we did in spots but I saw a team grow again. Even when things didn’t go so good we found ways to calm it down, do the things we do and step back out in front.
“I thought defensively we played pretty good most of the game,” she added. “I thought our half court defense was really good.”
The Lady Hornets forced 25 Searcy turnovers using a variety of defenses. The Lady Lions (4-8) were just 11 of 45 (24 percent) from the field. Free throws helped them stay in the game for awhile. Both teams were plagued by fouls.
“We had to adjust to the way the game was officiated and you have to do that,” Hall commented. “That’s part of it.”
Bryant’s early surge was fueled by senior Kalin Dreher who scored all 10 points of her points in the first quarter then got into foul trouble before fouling out on two quick fouls early in the third quarter.
Searcy’s Megan Celsor, who led her team with 15 points, opened the scoring in the game but Dreher’s three-point play off a high-low pass from senior post Amanda Grappe gave Bryant the lead for good just moments later.
After Allison and Ashley Grappe combined on a steal, Amanda Grappe again fed Dreher to make it 5-2.
Later, Amanda Grappe added a free throw then blocked a shot by Searcy’s Amy Lewis. Ashley Grappe made another steal and fed Amie Hubbard for a layup.
Ashley Grappe blocked a shot from behind then Amanda Grappe made a steal that eventually led to another bucket by Dreher off a nice feed from Ashley Grappe, making it 10-2.
Searcy’s frustrations continued when Amanda Grappe and Hubbard combined on a steal. Though the Lady Hornets were unable to take advantage, Dreher and Amanda Grappe forced another turnover and Dreher finished with another three-point play.
Allison Grappe’s steal led to a trip to the free-throw line to make it 13-2 going into the final minute of the quarter. Ashley Grappe added a basket off a drive down the baseline and, after Allison Grappe blocked a shot, Amanda Grappe canned a baseline jay to complete the 18-0 blitz.
Allyson Middleton’s basket with :01.1 left in the quarter ended Searcy’s drought.
And when the Lady Hornets were held to just free throws through the first six minutes of the second quarter, the Lady Lions inched back into the game. When Felicia Graham scored with 2:09 left in the half, the Bryant lead was just 23-15.
But an offensive rebound by Amanda Grappe got the Lady Hornets back on track. She followed up with a steal that led to a 3-pointer by Allison Grappe and a 28-15 advantage. Bryant led 28-18 at the half.
Searcy made another push to start the third quarter. When Middleton hit a baseline jumper with 4:27 left in the period, the lead was down to 28-25 as Bryant suffered through another dryspell with fouls piling up.
But the Lady Lions began to get into foul trouble too and when Amanda Grappe hit two free throws with 2:57 left in the quarter, the Lady Hornets got back into gear. Allison and Ashley combined on a steal that got Amanda back to the line. Moments later, Hubbard was fouled grabbing a defensive rebound. She converted both ends of the bonus opportunity and the lead was 33-25.
“There were two things that I thought we could do and we tried to do,” Hall related regarding the Lady Hornets’ third quarter turnaround. “One was isolate Amanda down low and then we tried to isolate Ashley out front where they were playing one on one instead of one on two or three, trying to give them a little bit more room to work.”
Amanda Grappe wound up with a game-high 19 points, 9 in the third quarter.
Bryant held a 39-30 edge going into the fourth quarter. Hubbard, scoring off a steal, and Celsor traded baskets to start the final eight minutes but then the Lady Hornets regained control of the game with a 12-1 run fueled by Ashley Grappe who scored 12 of her 14 points in the final period. Her layup with 3:47 left gave Bryant a 53-33 lead. In the end, reserves Kaci Melhorn and Amber Gibbs completed the scoring for Bryant.
