December 16, 2005, the Bryant Hornets basketball team starting lineup was Phillip Porchay, Micah Farish, Chris Chumley, Chase Shaw and Jeremy Nordman. The Hornets defeated the Benton Panthers 52-49.
That was the last time a Bryant High School boys roundball team got the best of their rivals from Benton. Since then, it’s been six consecutive losses for the Hornets who, tonight, will try to snap that string at the Salt Bowl Shootout at the Jackson T. Stephens Center at UALR.[more]
That win in 2005, in fact, broke a five-game Benton win streak in the series. In this decade, including two conference matches at the end of the 1999-2000 season, Benton has won 16 of the 22 meetings between the two teams.
The Hornets primary rotation of players have included seniors K-Ron Lairy, Brandon Parish, K.J. Hampton, Dontay Renuard, Kendall Butzlaff, Connor Rayburn and sophomores L.J. McLaughlin, Quinton Motto and Brantley Cozart.
The Lady Hornets, meanwhile, would like the trend of the last decade to continue. They’ve won 15 of the 20 meetings between the two teams since the 1999-2000 season including three in a row. Benton swept the two games the teams played in 2006-07.
The Lady Hornets are off to an 8-0 start including the championships of the Crabtree Invitational Tournament and the Joe T. Robinson Invitational. They are coming off a hotly contested win over Sheridan on Tuesday.
Six different players for the Lady Hornets have led the team in scoring during a game this season.
The Lady Hornets primary rotation of players includes seniors Alana Morris, Kenzee Calley, Hannah Goshien, Haley Montgomery, Brooke Parish, Shanika Johnson and junior Abbi Stearns.
Tonight’s Shootout will include the choirs from both schools singing Christmas carols, both bands performing and a 3-point shooting contest for a new truck from Everett Buick Pontiac GMC.
The doors open at 5:30 with the girls game beginning at 7 followed by the boys contest.
