By Rob Patrick
CABOT — Bryant Hornets freshman coach Steve Wilson has used a lot of different starting lineups and a lot of different combinations this season, often going 10, 12, 14 deep. And from game to game,[more] there’s often someone different stepping up and making an unprecedented contribution.
On Monday, Dec. 6, that someone was Brian Reed who came off the bench to scored 6 points and grab four rebounds, all in the second half of the team’s 38-27 win at Cabot South.
The Hornets include Phillip Barnett, Dakota Besancon, Chase Christie, Brandon Cranford, Cedarrian Crosby, Evan Davis, Trevor Ezell, Greyson Giles, T.J. Hall, Austin Hammonds, Hunter Holder, Matt Jernigan, Spencer Kilgore, Slade Lewis, Madre London, Dylan Masters, Davis Nossaman, Gray Orman, Garrett Phillips, C.J. Rainey, Brian Reed, Mitchell Scoggins, Caleb Strain and Christian Washington.
“We’ve got a lot of talent,” Wilson stated. “That’s a good thing but it’s also a bad thing because sometimes people don’t get as much time as they would like. But, if we can get everybody playing for the team and putting the team first, I think it’ll be a big benefit for us in the long run. Sometimes, with us pressing, it helps wear the other team down.”
The Hornets were unable to score in the first quarter but the starting quintet played well enough defensively to stay within 6-0 going into the second period.
Christie broke the drought with an offensive-rebound basket at the 4:16 mark of the second quarter. And, as it turned out, that started a 16-3 run that put the Hornets in the driver’s seat.
Giles went on a spree early in the blitz. He hit a free throw after being fouled on the way to the hoop and, after a Cabot turnover, grabbed an offensive rebound and scored. Later, he made a steal and drove for a layup that put the Hornets ahead 7-6 with 3:10 left in the half.
Cabot interrupted with a free throw but then Giles scored off a lob from Rainey. After Cabot South answered to tie it, Scoggins connected on a pair from the line and the Hornets were ahead again. An offensive-rebound basket by Crosby make it 13-9 and, after a Panthers free throw, Rainey drained a 3 to make it 16-10.
It was 16-13 at the half. The Panthers came out and scored the first two baskets of the third quarter then extended the advantage at the free-throw line to 19-16. Giles, however, got the Hornets back on track with a stickback and, after a Panthers turnover, Reed hit the offensive glass, scored and was fouled as Bryant started a 15-1 surge. Though Reed missed his free throw, the Hornets forced a 10-second violation as the Panthers were unable to get the ball across midcourt against the press. Rainey took advantage by popping his second trey.
Christie made a steal and missed a shot but Reed followed with a theft that led to a buzzer-beating jumper by Giles that made it 25-19 going into the fourth quarter.
Rainey fed Reed for a basket and, after a turnover, Giles found Reed for another bucket inside, giving Bryant its first double-digit lead, 29-19. After a Cabot free throw, Giles fed Christie for a layup and it was 31-20.
Cabot wouldn’t go away, however. Free throws by Giles and Rainey had the Hornets up by 12 with 2:38 left but the Panthers whittled the margin to 34-27 going into the final minute of the game.
After that, however, Rainey knocked down 5 of 6 from the line in three trips to push the margin back to 11.
Giles and Rainey each finished with 12 points for the Hornets.
“We’ve had some first-half kind of slow games and we were better tonight in the first half,” Wilson said. “Still, the second half was when we played our best ball. We got a little fire in us finally. We were doing a lot of things right, just not with the enthusiasm the first half. The second half, I thought we got a little more fire into it.
“We’re a lot ways from our best ballgame but I saw considerable improvement,” he added. “Our bench had a lot more life on it, or seemed to, and that’s the direction we need to go.”
The Hornets, now 5-3, will face North Little Rock at home this Thursday.
BRYANT 38, CABOT SOUTH 27
Score by quarters
BRYANT 0 16 9 13 — 38
Cabot South 6 7 6 8 — 27
HORNETS 38
Ezell 0-2 0-0 0, Strain 0-1 0-0 0, Crosby 1-2 0-0 2, Scoggins 0-4 2-4 2, Nossaman 0-0 0-0 0, Giles 5-10 2-6 12, Reed 3-4 0-1 6, Rainey 2-5 6-8 12, Christie 2-8 0-1 4, Holder 0-1 0-0 0, Orman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-38 10-20 38.
PANTHERS 27
York 1-2 3-4 6, Smith 2-7 1-4 5, Westlake 1-1 4-6 6, Penner 0-0 0-0 0, Lucas 3-6 2-2 8, Hicks 0-0 0-0 0, Walls 0-0 2-2 2, Russell 0-1 0-0 0, Cadypool 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 7-17 12-18 27.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 2-10 (Rainey 2-3, Ezell 0-2, Christie 0-2, Strain 0-1, Giles 0-1, Holder 0-1), Cabot South 1-2 (York 1-1, Smith 0-1). Rebounds: Bryant 30 (Giles 5, Crosby, Reed, Christie 4), Cabot South 20 (Westlake, Lucas 6). Turnovers: Bryant 7, Cabot South 19. Team fouls: Bryant 12, Cabot South 17. Fouled out: Cabot South, Penner.
