For more photos from this event by Kevin Nagle, go here
Demetrius Sanders tries to score as he’s fouled. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
The Bryant Blue Hornets eighth grade team of Bethel Middle School scored the first 13 points of their game against the Cabot North Panthers Monday night and cruised to a 35-16 victory.
The win was the third in a row for the Hornets as they enter a brief break for Thanksgiving. At 3-1, they’ll travel to North Little Rock in their next outing on Thursday, Nov. 30.
Cabot North scored 2 points in each of the first three quarters as Bryant built a 29-6 lead. The Panthers finally hit double digits with 3:52 left in the game.
Bethel was led by Demetrius Sanders’ 10 points. Daniel Taylor added 9 on a trio of 3-pointers. Jaylen Williams hit a pair of 3’s for 6 points.
But it was the defense that stole the show as the Hornets forced 21 turnovers and out-rebounded the Panthers 28-25. Sanders and Brooks Edmonson each had six boards. Cabot North shot just 24 percent from the field (7 of 29).
Kelton Heath lofts a shot over a Cabot North defender. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
“I thought our defense played real tough,” acknowledged Hornets coach Steve Wilson. “We hit some shots early then kind of got a little cold but we were still able to score a little bit off our defense. We didn’t shoot the 3 very well.”
Bethel was 7 of 17 from beyond the arc.
“We’re going the right direction,” Wilson asserted. “We had a little jamboree on Saturday and the intensity wasn’t there but I think we brought a little intensity today.”
Eight of the first 13 points were scored by Sanders. Zach Foote made a steal and a layup along the way and Williams drained triple.
Cabot North got on the board with a pair of free throws before Taylor drilled his first trey to make it 16-2 going into the second quarter.
Neither team scored much in the second stanza. It was 18-4 before Taylor drained another 3 with :06 left.
Neither team scored in the third quarter until a Cabot North basket with 1:28 left. But Williams knocked down a 3, Joshua Blackmon sank a 15-footer and, once again, Taylor beat the buzzer with a 3 to make it 29-6 going into the fourth quarter.
Jaylen Williams launches a 3-point try. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Jefferson Calicott splashed a triple to start the fourth quarter, giving Bethel its largest lead at 32-6. Cabot North more than doubled its scoring total after that as Wilson got all of his reserves in the game.
To put the icing on the cake, Jaban Smith drilled a trey from the left corner to complete Bethel’s scoring with :54 left.
BRYANT BLUE 35, CABOT NORTH 16
Score by quarters
Cabot North 2 2 2 10 — 16
Bryant Blue 16 5 8 6 — 35
PANTHERS 16
Thomas 0-3 0-0 0, Shurley 0-4 0-0 0, Fitch 5-8 0-2 12, Schullian 0-7 0-0 0, Phillips 1-3 0-0 2, Facinelli 1-3 0-1 2, Prewitt 0-0 0-0 0, Grimes 0-0 0-0 0, Graham 0-0 0-0 0, Sufarman 0-0 0-0 0, Bailey 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 7-29 0-5 16.
HORNETS 35
Foote 1-6 0-0 2, Williams 2-10 0-0 6, Sanders 2-5 6-9 10, Devine 0-1 0-0 , Edmonson 0-1 0-0 0, Calicott 1-1 0-0 3, McCormick 0-0 0-0 0, Barrett 0-0 0-0 0, Blackmon 1-1 0-0 2, Taylor 3-6 0-0 9, Hesley 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 1-2 0-0 3, Prather 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Heath 0-1 0-2 0, Crawley 0-0 0-0 0, Kirby 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 11-36 6-11 35.
Three-point field goals: Bryant Blue 7-17 (Taylor 3-5, Williams 2-9, Calicott 1-1, Smith 1-1, Foote 0-1), Cabot North 2-9 (Fitch 2-3, Schullian 0-5, Shurley 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant Blue 12, Cabot North 21. Rebounds: Bryant Blue 11-17 28 (Sanders 1-5 6, Edmonson 3-3 6, Devine 3-2 5, Foote 2-1 3, Barrett 1-0 1, Taylor 0-1 1, Miller 0-1 1, Crawley 0-1 1, Kirby 1-0 1, team 1-2 3), Cabot North 8-17 25 (Phillips 4-4 8, Shurley 2-3 5, Schullian 0-3 3, Thomas 0-2 2, Carter 2-0 2, Fitch 0-2 2, Facinelli 0-1 1, Grimes 0-1 1, team 0-1 1). Team fouls: Bryant Blue 12, Cabot North 9.
