Lady Hornets batter Benton
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
For the Bryant Lady Hornets, the 2003-04 basketball season was a struggle. Yes, they had a winning season and qualified for the Class AAAAA State Tournament but it was a season of constant adjustment. The players were getting used to a new coach and a new system, and the coach Rhonda Hall was getting know them and their abilities. While having to deal with high expectations, they also had to play through injuries, major and minor, and the effort that opponents have always mustered against the Lady Hornets program.
It wasn’t always much fun, something Hall wants to change, something she says needs to change this season.
“I told them when we started that we have to have fun no matter what,” Hall recalled, “because if we’re just playing to please somebody else, that’s not we want and that’s not what they’ve played all these years together to do. They’ve played all those years together to get to this point, to have fun playing basketball and that’s what we’re going to do.”
The approach has made an obvious difference if the Lady Hornets’ first two games are any indication. They are having fun and playing more relaxed. And playing relaxed has enabled their ability to shine.
The latest indication was a convincing 64-50 victory over the rival Benton Lady Panthers on Tuesday, Nov. 23, in their home opener.
The Lady Hornets put together runs of 11-0 and 10-0 to build a 21-5 lead in the game and led by 21 with 2:30 left in the game. Benton, behind the 3-point bombs of Caroline Starr narrowed the gap after that.
A halfcourt trap defense sparked the early run for Bryant, forcing Benton out of its offense which is built around Starr’s abilities. Though Starr wound up with 26 points, she needed 22 shots including a 5-for-11 night from 3-point range. But she was not able to make her usual parade to the free-throw line. In fact, the Lady Panthers shot just six free throws because they were unable to get any offensive flow going. The turned the ball over 21 times.
“We’re trying to see if that (trap) is something that’s going to work for us,” Hall commented. “The two games we’ve played it has and if the girls believe in it and have a lot of confidence in what they’re doing, that makes you even better.
Starr’s one free throw started the game’s scoring. Amanda Grappe, on her way to 23 points and nine rebounds, gave Bryant the lead for good on a layup off a feed from Ashley Grappe. It was the first of eight assists — several of which were of the spectacular variety — by the senior point guard. She also had 16 points.
Ashley Grappe and Kalin Dreher teamed up for a steal that led to Amanda Grappe’s second basket, a stickback off the first of her four offensive rebounds in the game.
Later, Ashley nailed a 3 and, after a Benton turnover, she fed Amanda for another hoop and a 9-1 lead. Another turnover resulted in a layup for Ashley and, trailing 11-1, Benton had to have a timeout.
Starr finally managed the Lady Panthers’ first field goal on an offensive rebound hoop. She added another basket to make it 11-5 before the Lady Hornets were off on another tear.
This one was started by Amie Hubbard’s driving layup. She was fouled on the play and converted at the line for the three-point play. Moments later, Ashley Grappe laced a bullet-pass through the heart of the Benton zone to Bridgette McPeak for a layup and a 16-5 advantage.
The run continued with a free throw and a basket by Amanda Grappe in the final minute of the quarter. And when Ashley Grappe made a steal and layup to start the second period, the Lady Hornets’ lead was 21-5.
Benton made a run to cut it to 23-11 but Bryant answered with an 8-0 surge that included another eye-catching feed to McPeak by Ashley Grappe and a driving layup by Amanda Grappe that included a 360-degree spin at the end of a fastbreak.
Bryant led 38-17 at the half. The two teams traded points in the third quarter. Along the way, however, the Lady Hornets built their largest lead of 24. It was 46-26 when Hubbard fed Dreher for a short jumper down the left baseline. Robin Speake, who scored a career-high 8 points off the bench, added a pair of free throws moments later to make it 50-26.
Starr canned a pair of long 3’s in response but Ashley Grappe answered with a 3 of her own and Speake scored on a short jumper to bump the lead up again.
