NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The first-place showdown between the last two unbeaten teams in the Central Arkansas Junior High Conference was competitive for a half. But then, in the third quarter, the Bryant Hornets freshmen scored 7 points and turned the ball over 11 times and the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats turned it into a rout.
The 64-31 victory was the third of the season for North Little Rock against the Hornets, who are 13-5 overall this season. They fell to 5-1 in conference play going into a break from league action on Monday at home against Hot Springs.
Bryant will finish off the regular season at Conway White on Thursday, Jan. 31, and at home against Benton on Monday Feb. 4. They’re now in a virtual tie for second with Conway White.
The Hornets had nine turnovers at the half but finished with 26.
“We handled the pressure really well the first half. We were making a lot of things happen. The second half, maybe a little panic creeped in,” acknowledged Hornets coach Tyler Posey. “I felt like we were playing strong and with confidence but their pressure kind of knocked us off our spots and we weren’t able to respond.
“It’s a product of their intense pressure, getting into our legs, and not concentrating on what we’re supposed to be doing,” he added. “And we kind of got lost in that.”
In the previous meetings, North Little Rock won in the finals of the Joe T. Robinson tournament, 61-31, then at Bryant in a non-conference game on Nov. 29, 65-43.
Carl Daughtrey led the Wildcats with 14 points to match the 14 that reserve Reed Miller had in the last four minutes after both teams had turned to reserves. Charles Maris scored 11 and 6-5 post Kel’el Ware finished with 10.
The Hornets had no one score more than the 6 Demetrius Sanders had off the bench. Landyn Newburn, Gabe George and Will Diggins had 5 each.
Bryant trailed 6-1 early. After a timeout, Cameron Booth drove for a basket, the Hornets’ first field goal with 2:35 left in the quarter.
Ware scored inside for North Little Rock then Newburn answered with a jumper. Daughtrey hit a pair of free throws and Sanders drove for a basket to make it 10-7 going into the second period.
A 3 from Newburn tied the game. Off a North Little Rock turnover, Sanders drove for another bucket. A held ball went Bryant’s way, and, at the free-throw line, D.J. Hale converted to give the Hornets a 13-10 lead.
North Little Rock rallied to regain the upper hand, 16-13 before Bryant’s Isaiah Kearney knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:24 left in the half, making it a one-point game.
A pair of baskets by the Cats’ Bryson Warren before halftime produced the 20-15 edge.
George hit a free throw to start the scoring in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 4. Over the next three-minutes-plus, the Hornets managed just two field goal attempts as they repeatedly turned the ball over against the Charging Wildcats’ half-court trap.
By the time George was fouled and hit another free throw for Bryant’s next points, North Little Rock had built a 32-16 lead.
With 1:19 left, George followed up a basket by Sanders with a 3 to cut the margin to 34-22. But North Little Rock closed out the quarter with a 10-0 burst, making it 44-22 going into the fourth.
Ware opened the final period with a dunk and, though Diggins answered with a bucket by hitting the offensive boards, North Little Rock kept adding to the lead. It was 50-24 when the reserves took over.
CHARGING WILDCATS 64, HORNETS 31
Freshman
Score by quarters
BRYANT 7 8 7 9 — 31
No.Little Rock10 10 24 20 — 64
HORNETS 31
Newburn 2-4 0-0 5, Burton 1-4 0-0 3, Booth 1-2 0-0 2, George 1-8 2-4 5, Diggins 2-4 1-2 5, Sanders 3-4 0-0 6, Kearney 0-1 2-2 2, Hale 0-0 1-2 1, Mendoza 1-3 0-1 2, Gilmore 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Myles 0-1 0-0 0, C.Carter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals:11-32 (34%) 6-11 (55%) 31.
CHARGING WILDCATS 64
Daughtery 5-9 3-4 14, Warren 4-11 0-0 9, Wade 0-0 0-0 0, Ware 5-9 0-2 10, Maris 3-8 5-5 11, Ingram 0-0 0-0 0, Evans 0-2 0-0 0, Lewis 2-7 2-2 6, Scott 0-4 0-0 0, Miller 5-7 0-0 14, Smith 0-2 0-0 0, S.Carter 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals:24-59 (41%) 10-13 (77%) 64.
Three-point field goals:Bryant 3-6 (Newburn 1-2, Burton 1-2, George 1-2), North Little Rock 6-15 (Miller 4-4, Daughtery 1-3, Warren 1-3, Scott 0-2, Maris 0-1, Evans 0-1, Lewis 0-1). Turnovers:Bryant 26, North Little Rock 6. Rebounds:Bryant 7-22 29 (Diggins 4-4 8, Sanders 0-4 4, Newburn 1-2 3, Booth 1-2 3, Burton 0-2 2, Hale 1-1 2, Myles 0-2 2, George 0-1 1, Kearney 0-1 1, Mendoza 0-1 1, C.Carter 0-1 1, team 0-1 1), North Little Rock 12-16 28 (Daughtery 3-2 5, Ware 0-3 3, Lewis 3-0 3, Miller 1-2 3, Warren 1-1 2, Wade 0-2 2, Maris 1-1 2, Evans 0-2 2, Scott 2-0 2, Ingram 0-1 1, Jones 0-1 1, team 2-1 3). Team fouls:Bryant 8, North Little Rock 12.
