Beene, Hornets hold on with free throws
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
BENTON — Early in the season, Leo Olberts, Sr.,, the super stat man for his son’s Bryant Hornets basketball team, informed the members of the team of their shooting percentages at the free-throw line and Tad Beene was shocked. He couldn’t believe he could be shooting around 50 percent and vowed to get that improved
Mission accomplished.
Beene converted 11-of-14 free throws under the gun in the fourth quarter to help the Hornets hold on for a 59-52 win over the rival Benton Panthers Friday night at Kenneth O. Cook Fieldhouse.
Beene, who came into the fourth quarter with 5 points in the game, wound up leading all scorers with 16. Nathan James, the Hornets’ burly 6-2 center most often stacked up against much taller players, got to pick on guys his own size for once and came through with 13 points including 6 down the stretch.
Senior Joe Whittington had 10 for the Hornets.
The win improved Bryant (8-9 overall) to 2-5 in the AAAAA-South Conference just two games out of third place going into the second half of the league round robin. But they face co-league leaders Sheridan and Little Rock McClellan in their next two contests.
Benton dropped into the league cellar at 1-6, 8-12 overall.
The Hornets took the lead for good with a 10-0 run to start the second half yet, the lead was only 1 going into the fourth quarter and still just 2 as late as the 1:46 mark. That was after Nathaniel Doddridge hit a pair of free throws for the Panthers.
Beene, who had already hit 3-of-4 at the line during the quarter, then started his parade to the charity stripe. He was fouled with the Hornets clinging to that 2-point edge at the 1:36 mark and dropped in both sides of a one-and-one. James followed up with a crucial steal and, once again, Beene was fouled.
With 1:19 remaining, he drilled both ends again to make it 52-46.
The Panthers missed a pair of shots but kept getting the ball back by working the offensive boards. With :59 showing, Felton Barnes grabbed a long carom and was fouled on his follow shot. He connected on a pair of free throws but, seconds later, Beene was back at it, negating Barnes’ effort.
Benton point guard Rustin Jessup drove for a layup and Benton called a timeout, trailing by 4 with :49 to go.
With :40 left, Whittington took a turn at the free-throw line and came through with two to bump the advantage one last time. Jessup missed a 3-point try and James was fouled on the rebound. He converted once to make it 57-50.
A driving layup by Chad Hendrix with :17 to go proved to be Benton’s last basket and, for good measure, Beene added a couple more free throws to round off the victory.
The Hornets had taken the early lead with a 13-2 blitz in the first period. Trailing 4-2, James got the streak going with a basket inside. Matt Thornton added a layup finishing a fastbreak then James scored inside again to make it 8-4. Josh Carroll’s bankshot kept the run going before an offensive-rebound hoop by Benton’s Clay Goodwin interrupted.
Eric Burton’s layup re-ignited the blaze before Beene capped things off with a 3-pointer to make it 15-6.
Benton’s Cole Elrod answered with the first of his four 3-pointers in the game, keeping the Panthers within 6 going into the second quarter.
With Elrod contributing two more bombs, the Panthers rallied in the second quarter. Elrod’s second trey of the period actually gave Benton a 23-21 lead with 2:35 left.
But Burton hit a free throw then knocked down a 3 to put Bryant back on top before a buzzer-beating 3 by Hendrix made it 26-25, Benton, at the half.
The Hornets made like they were going to run away with it to start the second half. James led a fastbreak, dishing to Carroll for a layup. After Goodwin missed a 3, Whittington canned a short jumper then fed Thornton for a layup to finish a break.
Carroll dished to James for an easy deuce. Elrod, in turn, missed on a 3-point try and Whittington nailed another driving jay as the lead ballooned to 35-26.
The Panthers, however, continued to bomb away from outside. Goodwin drained one and, after a pair of Bryant misses, Craig Opitz popped a pair around a free throw by James. The second beat the buzzer ending the quarter and brought the Panthers within a point, 36-35.
The Hornets started the final period with a turnover, but Matt Brown swiped the ball back. Barnes blocked his shot but the Hornets recovered. James took a pass into the post and drop-stepped right by a Benton defender for a layup, drawing a foul. His three-point play made it 39-35.
But Benton wouldn’t go away. The Hornets would push the lead to 4 and the Panthers would answer and cut it to 2.
With 4:25 left, a layup by James off a drive and dish by Whittington gave Bryant a 45-41 lead. This time, however, Benton didn’t respond as Jessup missed his jumper. Brown was fouled and converted twice and, after Hendrix missed a 3-point try, Beene hit a free throw to make it 48-41.
But Elrod canned another 3 to cut the lead to 4 with 3:05 left. It stayed that way until Doddridge’s free throws made it a 2-point contest. The Hornets’ free-throw exhibition then got under way.
