For more photos of this event by Kevin Nagle, go here; photos also courtesy of Paul Dotson
Gavin Brunson goes high for a shot as a trio of North Little Rock defenders and teammate Austin Ledbetter look on. (Photo courtesy of Paul Dotson)
The North Little Rock Charging Wildcats freshman team, which includes a handful of stellar eighth-graders, has been so dominant in their 12-0 run through the Central Arkansas Junior High Conference so far, they’ve only had two wins that had differentials of less than 22 points.
On Jan. 8, they beat a winless Little Rock Catholic team 45-33 — their closest game of the league season — and, on Nov. 20, 2017, they beat Russellville 54-38 to open the conference campaign.
That means 10 of the 12 have been by 22 or more including a 42-point victory and four more by 30-plus. The latter includes Monday night’s blitz of the Bryant Hornets, 51-21, at the Bryant Middle School gym.
The final was North Little Rock’s largest advantage in the game but a 20-3 run at the end of the first half and start of the second had them comfortably in front the rest of the way.
The Hornets stayed with them up until then. Bryant played tough defense early and trailed just 6-4 at the end of the opening quarter. Hayden Schrader and Gavin Brunson had the Hornets’ two baskets.
Aiden Adams launches a 3. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
The Cats scored the first three baskets of the second quarter to make it 12-4 but two free throws by Schrader had the Hornets down just 6 with 3:09 left in the half.
But that’s when the North Little Rock surge began, interrupted only by a 3-pointer by Aiden Adams that had Bryant within 19-9.
It was 32-9 before Brunson scored off the offensive glass to break the cold spell for the Hornets with 2:52 left in the third quarter. Jalen Montgomery added a free throw and, after a North Little Rock bucket, Adams drained another triple to trim the margin to 34-15.
Adams hit two more treys in the fourth quarter, accounting for Bryant’s only scoring as North Little Rock continued to expand the lead to its final difference.
Adams finished with a team-high 9 points but the Hornets were held to just seven field goals, just three from inside the arc as they shot 20 percent (7 of 35) from the field.
The setback was Bryant’s second in a row after they’d won 6 of 7. They’ll try to get back on the winning track on Thursday at Conway Blue.
Jalen Montgomery (1) tries to get to the basket. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
CHARGING WILDCATS 51, HORNETS 21
Freshman basketball
Score by quarters
N. Little Rock 6 20 14 11 — 51
BRYANT 4 5 6 6 — 21
CHARGING WILDCATS 51
Steele 5-8 1-2 12, L.Smith 1-7 0-0 2, M.Smith 2-6 0-0 5, Frazier 7-8 0-1 14, Glosson 0-1 0-0 0, Floyd 2-5 0-0 4, Geter 2-3 0-0 5, Jordan 2-4 0-0 4, Cotton 1-5 0-0 3, Jackson 1-1 0-0 2, Ford 0-0 0-0 0, O’Donald 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 23-50 (46%) 1-3 (33%) 51.
HORNETS 21
Montgomery 0-6 1-4 1, Riggs 0-1 0-0 0, A.Adams 3-10 0-0 9, Schrader 1-1 2-2 4, Brunson 2-2 0-0 4, Schroeder 0-2 0-0 0, Ledbetter 1-5 0-0 3, Aldridge 0-5 0-0 0, Godwin 0-3 0-0 0, Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Hanson 0-0 0-0 0, N.Adams 0-0 0-0 0, Ruby 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 7-35 (20%) 3-6 (50%) 21.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 4-16 (A.Adams 3-10, Ledbetter 1-3, Montgomery 0-1, Riggs 0-1, Godwin 0-1), North Little Rock 4-10 (Steele 1-3, M.Smith 1-2, Geter 1-2, Cotton 1-2, Jordan 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant 13, North Little Rock 6. Rebounds: Bryant 9-12 21 (Aldridge 2-2 4, Schroeder 2-2 4, Brunson 3-0 3, Schrader 1-2 3, Montgomery 0-1 1, Riggs 0-1 1, A.Adams 0-1 1, Martin 0-1 1, Hanson 1-0 1, team 0-2 2), North Little Rock 15-20 35 (Frazier 5-3 8, Floyd 1-3 4, Cotton 1-3 4, Jackson 0-3 3, L.Smith 1-2 3, Glosson 2-1 3, Jordan 2-1 3, Steele 1-1 2, M.Smith 0-1 1, Geter 0-1 1, team 2-1 3). Team fouls: Bryant 6, North Little Rock 7.
Hayden Schrader (25) scored 4 points in the first half of Monday’s game. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Braden Godwin (14) launches a 3. (Photo courtesy of Paul Dotson)
