The Bryant Hornets freshman team erupted for a 27-point second quarter to break open a tight game with the Hot Springs Trojans on Monday night on the way to a 30-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The sportsmanship rule, a running clock, was in effect in the fourth quarter as the Hornets finished off a 58-30 victory.
Earlier in the season, the Hornets had defeated the Trojans 50-37. This time, however, Hot Springs was without two or three starters.
Will Diggins finished with 14 points and Jaylen Williams came off the bench to score 13.
“We really got out in the second quarter,” acknowledged Hornets coach Tyler Posey. “We kind of turned the intensity up, the energy level up a little bit.
“We try to live on transition baskets and turnovers, creating them,” he added. “We had really active hands tonight. I think that was the reason we got a lot of those easy points in the second quarter. We actually ended up with 49 deflections. I’ve never had a team get anywhere close to that. That’s a big reason we were able to get some easy points.”
The Hornets got out to a 4-0 lead on baskets by Cameron Booth and Gabe George. Both were fouled as they scored but neither was able to complete a three-point play.
Hot Springs surged to take a 9-7 lead with the first of Williams’ three 3’s the only interruption. Isaiah Kearney fed Diggins for a basket to beat the buzzer and it was 9-9 going into the second period.
“We couldn’t get the ball stopped for a little while and they made some tough shots to kind of stay with us,” Posey mentioned. “But that second quarter really separated us.”
D.J. Hale fed Diggins for a bucket to start the second stanza. A Hot Springs turnover led to a basket by Kearney with Hale getting another assist.
And when Landyn Newburn buried a 3 from the corner, Bryant led 16-9.
It was 20-15 when the Hornets got the role going again. Diggins scored inside, and, after a Hot Springs timeout, George made a layup. In rapid succession, the turnovers began to mount up for the Trojans, who had 13 in the quarter.
Newburn fed Diggins then the Hornets’ big man grabbed an offensive rebound and scored.
Hot Springs took another timeout with 1:16 left in the half.
Newburn made a steal and dished to Diggins for a bucket. After a Hot Springs 3, Gavin Burton drilled a triple at the other end and, to beat the buzzer ending the half, George popped a triple to make it 36-18.
It was 38-22 when the Hornets went on another scoring spree, ignited by Newburn’s second 3. The 14-0 run included an offensive-rebound basket for George, another bucket for Diggins off a feed from Kearney then an 18-footer from Williams.
With :26 left in the quarter, Williams followed his own miss to score. Later, he would beat the buzzer with his second triple to make it 52-22 going into the fourth quarter.
After Hot Springs broke a dry spell of over three minutes, Williams knocked down a final 3.
Posey worked in his reserves and to cap off the scoring, Calvin Myles added a free throw and Carson Edmonson scored off the offensive glass.
Now 14-5 overall, the Hornets return to Central Arkansas Junior High Conference play this Thursday with a showdown at Conway White. They concluded the regular-season on Monday, Feb. 4 at home against Benton. The CAJHC post-season tournament commences Feb. 11, at Cabot.
HORNETS 58, TROJANS 30
Freshman
Score by quarters
Hot Springs 9 9 4 8 — 30
BRYANT 9 27 16 6 — 58
TROJANS 30
James 0-1 0-0 0, Grayer 1-4 0-0 2, D.Brown 2-2 0-0 4, Andrews 0-2 0-2 0, Walker 0-1 0-0 0, Porter 5-7 0-1 10, Hicks 4-5 0-0 9, Roberts 1-3 0-0 2, J.Brown 0-2 0-0 0, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, McClelland 1-1 0-0 3, Darby 0-1 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals14-29 (48%) 0-3 (0%) 30.
HORNETS 58
Newburn 2-5 0-0 6, Booth 2-3 2-3 6, Burton 1-3 0-0 3, George 3-11 2-5 9, Diggins 7-8 0-0 14, Hale 1-4 0-0 2, Kearney 1-2 0-0 2, Williams 5-8 0-0 13, Mendoza 0-0 0-0 0, Edmonson 1-3 0-0 2, Gilmore 0-0 0-0 0, Blackmon 0-0 0-0 0, Myles 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 23-48 (48%) 5-10 (50%) 58.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 7-18 (Williams 3-5, Newburn 2-4, Burton 1-3, George 1-3, Hale 0-1, Kearney 0-1, Myles 0-1), Hot Springs 2-6 (McClelland 1-1, Hicks 1-1, Grayer 0-3, Walker 0-1). Turnovers:Bryant 12, Hot Springs 23. Rebounds:Bryant 14-11 25 (Booth 3-2 5, Hale 3-2 5, Diggins 2-2 4, Burton 0-2 2, Kearney 1-1 2, Edmonson 2-0 2, Newburn 1-0 1, George 1-0 1, Williams 1-0 1, Mendoza 0-1 1, Blackmon 0-1 1), Hot Springs 5-15 20 (Andrews 1-3 4, Porter 2-2 4, Walker 0-3 3, D.Brown 0-2 2, Roberts 0-2 2, J.Brown 2-0 2, Hicks 0-1 1, McClelland 0-1 1, team 0-1 1). Team fouls:Bryant 7, Hot Springs 8.
