For more photos of this event by Rick Nation, go here
Robyn Gordon shoots over North Little Rock’s Yo’Myris Morris. (Photo by Rick Nation)
At their best, the Bryant Lady Hornets, despite their lack of size, are attacking the basket, getting to the free throw line (and making free throws) or kicking the ball outside for 3-point shots in rhythm.
And they’ve been doing more of that lately, it seems, though still not as consistently as head coach Brad Matthews would like or as would be necessary to stay with good teams.
On Tuesday night, however, they ran into an opponent with such size and quickness that it was difficult to get a clean shot after they’d driving in there. Six-foot-two senior Yo’Myris Morris and 5-11 junior Kennedy Tucker blocked more than a few shots against the Lady Hornets, who, nevertheless, got to the free-throw line for 19 attempts. Unfortunately, they converted just nine of those.
And, when they got the ball outside for an open look, they converted just 1 of 17 shots from the 3-point arc.
Among the best teams in the state, North Little Rock went on a second-half spree and walked away with a 65-24 victory, improving to 15-3 overall and 4-1 in the 7A-Central Conference. The Lady Cats remain a game behind first-place Conway, Bryant’s next opponent this Friday on the road.
Ivory Russ brings the ball up the floor. (Photo by Rick Nation)
North Little Rock’s De’Myla Brown hit a 3 to start the game, on her way to a game-high 16 points. In turn, Bryant’s Kalia Walker hit an 18-footer. Morris, over two trips to the free-throw line, came up with 1 point before Tierra Trotter pulled the Lady Hornets even at 4 with a drive to the hoop off a Lady Cats turnover.
Morris scored the next two baskets before Tucker got going to make it 10-4. But Bryant’s Lexie Taylor hit her team’s only 3 of the night to cut the margin to 3. Adia Carneige added a free throw to the North Little Rock total before the quarter was over.
Up 11-7, the Lady Cats got it going early in the second, producing an 8-0 run to make it a 11-point lead.
The Lady Hornets, meanwhile, had settled into a slump in which they were unable to add a field goal before halftime. They kept it close with free throws — both teams struggled to convert them — with India Atkins, Celena Martin and Trotter adding at least one in the quarter.
But they left a few on the table and North Little Rock was able to gradually pull away, building a 30-12 halftime lead.
Kalia Walker fires up a free throw. (Photo by Rick Nation)
After going 0-for-7 from the floor in the second quarter, the Lady Hornets were just 2 of 16 in the second. They game got away from there. Behind 8 points from Brown, North Little Rock gradually pulled away.
It was 48-16 going into the fourth quarter. An 11-0 run by the Lady Cats ended the stanza.
For the game, the Lady Hornets shot just 16 percent (7 of 42) from the field. Over the final three periods, they were 4 of 32.
Taylor hit two free throws to start the fourth. A drive for a layup by Trotter made it 48-20 but Yasmin Ott hit a 3 for North Little Rock. A basket inside by Robyn Gordon made it 51-22 with 5:13 left. After that, the Lady Hornets only added a pair of free throws by Trotter as the Lady Cats pulled away for the victory.
LADY CHARGING WILDCATS 65, LADY HORNETS 24
Score by quarters
N.Little Rock 11 19 18 17 — 65
BRYANT 7 5 4 8 — 24
LADY CHARGING WILDCATS (15-3, 4-1) 65
Neal 0-2 0-0 0, Hawkison 2-7 0-0 5, Brown 7-13 0-1 16, Y.Morris 3-8 5-10 11, Tucker 4-10 1-4 10, Mackey 0-1 0-0 0, Pettus 2-5 0-0 4, Carneige 1-2 2-4 4, Ott 3-5 2-4 10, Backus 2-2 0-0 5, Pryor 0-0 0-0 0, S.Morris 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-56 (43%) 10-23 (43%) 65.
LADY HORNETS (5-11, 1-4) 24
Trotter 4-16 5-9 13, Walker 1-12 0-1 2, Atkins 0-1 1-3 1, Martin 0-3 1-4 1, Russ 0-4 0-0 0, Taylor 1-4 2-2 5, Gordon 1-2 0-0 2, Scifres 0-0 0-0 0, Baker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 7-42 (16%) 9-19 (47%) 24.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 1-17 (Taylor 1-4, Trotter 0-7, Walker 0-5, Martin 0-1), North Little Rock 7-21 (Brown 2-7, Ott 2-3, Hawkison 1-4, Tucker 1-4, Backus 1-1, Mackey 0-1, Carneige 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant 24, North Little Rock 13. Rebounds: Bryant 12-23 35 (Russ 2-4 6, Gordon 2-4 6, Martin 3-2 5, Taylor 0-4 4, Walker 0-3 3, Trotter 0-2 2, Atkins 1-0 1, Scifres 0-1 1, team 4-3 7), North Little Rock 15-29 44 (Y.Morris 4-10 14, Brown 2-5 7, Pettus 2-4 6, Tucker 2-1 3, Mackey 2-0 2, Ott 0-2 2, Pryor 0-2 2, Neal 1-0 1, Hawkison 1-0 1, Carneige 0-1 1, team 1-4 5). Team fouls: Bryant 14, North Little Rock 19. Fouled out: North Little Rock, Tucker.
