SHERIDAN — Playing in a game for the first time since Dec. 13, the Bryant White Lady Hornets seventh grade team put together a 13-4 second quarter on the way to a 27-17 win over the Sheridan Lady Jackets seventh graders on Tuesday night.
The Lady Hornets won despite converting just 4 of 23 free throws.
Jordan Hancock led the team with 7 points. Zacarra Whitcher had 6 and Regan Dillon 5. Savannah Lucas scored 4, Catlin LaCerra 3 and Emma Chappell 2.
“We came out slow and sluggish in the first quarter and I attribute some of that to being off for two weeks,” acknowledged Lady Hornets coach Ben Perry. “However, that being the case, we still should have come out firing on defense. We allowed our man to get away from us in the first quarter and gave up two easy free baskets.”
The game was tied 6-6 at the end of the opening period.
“We came out much better in second quarter and were able to extend a lead,” Perry noted.
Bryant White led 19-10 at the half and, by the end of the third quarter, held a double-digit margin of 23-13.
“The third quarter we moved the ball around and drove the lane and went to the foul line for eight shots but missed all of them,” Perry related. “This attributed to the low score in third quarter.
“The fourth quarter, the game was in hand at 27-13 and I cleared the bench,” he said. “We gave up 4 points but I was glad to be able to get playing time and experience for everyone. It was more important for me to get experience for everyone than to maintain a 14-point victory with two minutes left when it was obvious what was going on.
“Although I am proud of them for their win, I was disappointed in how we started the game in the first quarter and how we started the third quarter,” the coach said. “We must do better from the line and we must do better at rebounding.
“However, they were able to clinch the win and I look forward to working on our areas of improvement,” he concluded.
The Lady Hornets return to action on Saturday at Little Rock Christian.
“Little Rock Christian is a very good team and has very big and athletic girls,” Perry said. “It will be a very tough weekend for them but it will be very beneficial.”
