By Rob Patrick
Guard Luke Rayburn wasn’t available for his team’s season opener against the Morrilton Devil Pups. Teammate Aaron Bell stepped in at the point for him, however, and slashed and dashed to a game-high 22 points in the team’s 47-34 win.
On Monday, Rayburn was in the starting lineup with Bell and the duo combined to help the Bryant Hornets freshman team get off to a quick start that sparked a 46-29 win over the Lake Hamilton Junior Wolves.
The win put the Hornets in the semifinals of the annual Bryant Invitational Tournament. They’ll take on Texarkana tonight at 6:10.
Rayburn wound up with a game-high 12 points in the victory, leading nine different Hornets that contributed to the total. Riley Hall finished with 7. Bell and Scott Workman added 6 each.
Leon Neale made a steal and layup to get the game started for Bryant. Moments later, Bell drove to the rack for his first bucket and, after making a steal, Rayburn banked in a jay to make it 6-0.[more]
Lake Hamilton’s Harrison Watkins scored his team’s first points with 4:10 left in the first quarter but Bell countered with a 15-foot jumper that complete the opening 8-2 salvo.
The Wolves rallied to within 2 before the end of the period and had a chance to tie the game or take the lead with a 3 but Rayburn made a steal that led to a driving scoop shot and a 12-8 lead with 1:00 left. Another theft by Neale set up a 3-pointer by Rayburn and, just before the end of the period, Marcus Wilson sank a jumper in the lane for the Hornets, making it 17-8.
To start the second period, Wilson canned a pair of free throws and Zach Cambron added one. And when Hall buried a triple with 2:51 left in the half, it was 23-8.
Lake Hamilton then ended a dry spell of nearly five minutes when Malik Blevins sank a driving jumper.
Bryant led 25-12 at the break after Cambron and Watkins traded baskets.
Watkins’ hoop came with 1:00 left in the half. The Wolves didn’t manage another field goal until Blevins hit again with 1:18 left in the third quarter. Only free throws by Blevins and Watkins interrupted another Bryant surge that was ignited by Hall’s driving jumper. Rayburn fed Workman for a basket to make it 29-14.
After Watkins’ free throws, Hall fed Workman for a bucket, Rayburn buried his second trey and Bell drove for a layup to make it a 20-point game.
Bryant led 38-20 going into the fourth quarter. After a basket by Joshua Davis to end the third quarter and another by Cambron and two free throws by Hall to start the fourth, the Hornets had their largest lead of the game at 42-20.
It was never less than 16 down the stretch as everyone got into the game for both teams.
BRYANT 46, LAKE HAMILTON 29
Score by quarters
Lake Hamilton 8 4 8 9 — 29
BRYANT 17 8 13 8 — 46
JUNIOR WOLVES (29)
Smith 2-9 0-2 4, Fraley 1-2 2-2 4, Teague 2-4 1-3 5, de los Santos 1-1 0-0 2, Watkins 2-5 2-5 6, Blevins 3-3 2-2 8, Klatt 0-1 0-0 0, Ethridge 0-0 0-0 0, White 0-2 0-0 0, Gonzales 0-2 0-0 0, Jessie 0-1 0-0 0, Collins 0-0 0-0 0, Hull 0-0 0-0 0, Broadbent 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-30 7-14 29.
JUNIOR HORNETS (46)
Rayburn 5-8 0-0 12, Bell 3-5 0-0 6, Hall 2-5 2-2 7, Neale 1-2 0-2 2, Workman 3-5 0-0 6, Wilson 1-4 2-2 4, Cambron 2-7 1-2 5, S.Davis 0-2 0-0 0, Hewitt 0-5 0-0 0, Jo.Davis 1-2 0-0 2, Privett 0-2 0-0 0, Ja.Davis 1-1 0-0 2, McKissock 0-0 0-0 0, Salas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-48 5-8 46.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 3-9 (Rayburn 2-3, Hall 1-3, Hewitt 0-3), Lake Hamilton 0-1 (Smith 0-1). Rebounds: Bryant 35 (Workman 6, Neale, Cambron, S.Davis 5), Lake Hamilton 16 (Watkins, Gonzales 3). Turnovers: Brant 18, Lake Hamilton 19. Team fouls: Bryant 12, Lake Hamilton 6.
