Lady Hornets knock Lady Cats out of first
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Despite the fact that she led the Bryant freshman team in scoring a year ago, Bridgette McPeak has primarily been counted on for defense this season for the Bryant Lady Hornets varsity team. Anything she has added to the scoring has been a bonus.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, against the Conway Lady Cats, the Lady Hornets got a big bonus.
In overtime, McPeak hit a free throw with 1:22 left to tie the game 43-43. Moments later, she calmly canned a clutch jumper from just inside the free-throw line to give her team the lead on the way to a crucial 46-43 win that knocked the Lady Cats out of a share of the AAAAA-Central Confer-ence lead.
The win improved the Lady Hornets to 11-8 overall on the season, 4-2 in conference play, only a game behind Conway in the standings, tied for third.
McPeak finished with 5 points. Her other basket came in the final minute of the third quarter. That layup, off a give-and-go with senior Liz Farish, gave Bryant a 32-28 lead. But it proved to be the last the Lady Hornets would score for almost six minutes of the game.
Conway surged with a 10-0 run that had the Lady Hornets looking up out of a 38-32 hole with just over three minutes left in regulation.
Amanda Grappe, who led all scorers with 16 points to go with 12 rebounds, hit two free throws with 3:03 left to get the Lady Hornets back on track.
Conway’s Ashley Heard answered with a free throw at the 1:53 mark but that proved to be the last the Lady Cats would score during regulation.
With 1:38 left, Ashley Grappe drilled a 3-pointer. Bryant forced a turnover but McPeak couldn’t get a shot to fall. Amanda Grappe, however, rebounded and was fouled. Her free throws with :56 left, tied it at 39.
Both teams had chances to win in regulation. Conway’s Fran Henderson misfired but so did Ashley Grappe, who finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
With just a few seconds left, Conway had possession in its front court on the right side of the court. On the inbounds, the Lady Cats had a player wide open under the basket on the left block but didn’t see her. The inbounds pass into the post on the right block was intercepted by Yousra Elhagemoussa and the game went to overtime.
Amie Hubbard snapped the tie with a free throw and the Lady Hornets forced a turnover. But Heard made a steal and layup to put Conway ahead again. Amanda Grappe scored inside off a feed from Ashley as the lead seesawed.
Conway took its final lead with 1:48 to go. Caroline Powell who scored 12 points off the bench for the Lady Cats, scored and was fouled. But she missed the free throw and the lead was 43-42 when McPeak was fouled with 1:22 to go.
After McPeak’s tying toss, Hubbard and Ashley Grappe combined on a steal that led to McPeak’s basket.
Conway called a timeout with :21.7 showing. In turn, both Brittany Greer (15 points, six rebounds) and Powell got shots away. But neither fell and Amanda Grappe pulled down the rebound off Powell’s miss.
Ashley Grappe was fouled with :09.3 to go. She made one of the two free throws but the door was still open for a tying 3. After a timeout, Conway tried to set up Powell but McPeak was there to make the shot difficult and it fell harmlessly off the iron.
From a game-opening three-point play by Elhagemoussa until that second-half dryspell, Bryant had led the game. It was 15-4 late in the first quarter before Greer beat the buzzer with a bucket to make it a 9-point game going into the second period.
The Lady Hornets had a chance to break the game open before the half as they frustrated Conway with their defense. But Bryant managed to convert just 2 of 10 shots from the field while committing six turnovers in the period.
Conway was within 17-11 late in the quarter before Farish scored off a nice pick and roll play with Allison Grappe to make it an 8-point game at the half.
A free throw by Elhagemoussa and a couple of baskets by Amanda Grappe to start the third quarter had Bryant ahead 24-11.
With Powell scoring 8 of her points from outside to loosen things up for Greer and Henderson inside, the Lady Cats whittled the lead to 27-24 and had a chance to get closer but Ashley Grappe stemmed the tide for the time being with a 3-pointer. Henderson, however, hit back-to-back baskets inside to make it 30-28 before McPeak’s basket made it 32-28 going into the fourth quarter.
