By Rob Patrick
PEARCY — The first time the Bryant Lady Hornets freshman team visited the Lake Hamilton Lady Wolves on Nov. 29, they trailed most of the game but closed with a 14-2 rush in the fourth quarter to extract a 36-30 win.
In a rematch in the third-place game of the second Kameron Hale Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 31, the game was[more] similar for three quarters. This time, however, the Lady Hornets were unable to muster a late surge and the Lady Wolves finished strong pushing an 8-point lead at the end of the third quarter into a 41-22 victory.
The Lady Hornets, now 8-6, host Conway Blue tonight.
The Lady Hornets include Aubree Allen, Jessica Alliston, Andrea Buford, Ashlee Caton, Caylin Choate, Dezarea Duckworth, Kaitlyn Greer, Keedy Harrison, Taylor Matthews, Dee-Dee Mosby, Melinda Murdock, Amber Newman, Destiny Nichols, Brittany Privett, Erica Smith, Rori Whittaker and Alex Wright.
Duckworth, a big part of Bryant’s comeback earlier in the season at Lake Hamilton and one of the team’s top scorers, was held out of the game on Friday for precautionary reasons after she was injured late in Thursday’s game against Central Arkansas Christian. She’s expected back tonight.
Kylie Frazier led the Lady Wolves with 16 points. Kori Bullard had 12. Allen led Bryant with 9. Whittaker added 6, Smith 5 and Greer 2.
Frazier and Allen traded baskets to start the game but Lake Hamilton scored the next 6 points and Bryant never led. Allen hit a jumper in the final seconds of the quarter to trim the margin to 8-4 then Whittaker hit a 10-footer at the start of the second that had the Lady Hornets within 8-6 but the Lady Wolves’ 5-0 run kept them ahead. It was 17-9 going into the final minute of the half before Whittaker hit a jumper in the lane to make it a 6-point game.
In the third quarter, the Lady Hornets were unable to score until the 2:35 mark when Whittaker fed Smith for a basket. Before that, however, the Lady Wolves had built the lead to 10. Mallory Cutlett answered for Lake Hamilton. Allen scored 4 points for Bryant in the final 1:20 of the quarter but it only closed the gap to 26-18.
In the final period, Lake Hamilton pushed the lead to 33-18 before Whittaker hit a free throw with 3:38 left. She hit another free throw with 2:16 to play but by then the lead had expanded to 20 points.
