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Cory Nichols tries to find room for a shot after driving into the paint. (Photo by Rick Nation)
BENTON — When you force 22 turnovers and haul down 16 offensive rebounds, it’s going to create a lot of scoring chances for your team. And that was the case on Monday night for the Bryant White Hornets eighth grade team of Bryant Middle School. The result was 46 field goal attempts and 26 free throw attempts.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, the lid was on the basket. They converted just seven field goals and 13 free throws.
Meanwhile, the rival Benton Panthers eighth grade team only attempted 23 shots from the field, but they made 12 including a trio of 3-pointers while hitting 14 of 24 at the free-throw line.
Benton won 41-27 at Panthers Arena.
The loss dropped Bryant White to 2-2 on the season going into tonight’s game at home against Cabot North.
The Hornets were actually just 3 of 29 from the field in the first three quarters. The Panthers took advantage to build a double-digit lead by halftime. And, despite a bigger offensive performance in the final period, the closest Bryant could get was 10, 37-27, with just under two minutes to play.
Nasir Vinson (33) contends for a rebound with Benton’s Walker Davis (44). (Photo by Rick Nation)
Cory Nichols led the Hornets with 8 points. Jordan Knox had 6, Nasir Vinson 5, Braylon Montgomery 4, Antonio Cage 2, Chris Gannaway and Ivory Gilmore 1 each.
Benton was paced by Walker Davis, a strong post player, with 12. Jamarius Morgan had 8 and Hezakiah Brazell 7.
Benton opened the game with a 9-0 burst. After a timeout by Hornets coach Richard Wrightner, Bryant White got on the board with a three-point play by Nichols.
It was 11-4 at the end of the quarter.
Nichols hit a free throw to start the scoring in the second stanza but a 3-pointer by Benton’s Dino Stephens produced the first double-digit lead, 16-5.
A layup by Montgomery and a free throw by Knox trimmed the margin to 8 and that was the difference going into the final minute of the half. That’s when Morgan drove for a layup and Drake Womack popped a 3 to extend the Panthers’ advantage to 23-10 at the break.
Benton pushed the lead to 21 early in the third quarter on a basket by Brazell and free throws by Davis.
Antonio Cage attempts a free throw. (Photo by Rick Nation)
The Hornets were able to shut out the Panthers over the final 4:17 of the quarter but could only muster free throws by Nichols and Gannaway before a late basket from Vinson off the offensive glass made it 29-13 going into the fourth quarter.
It was a 17-point margin before the Hornets began to make some headway. Vinson, after rebounding Antonio Cage’s missed free throw, was fouled and converted twice with 3:06 left to play. Cage came back to make a steal that led to a layup for Nichols. That cut the lead to 33-20.
Davis scored for Benton and, after Vinson hit a free throw, added two from the line to make it 37-21.
Montgomery hit a pair of free throws then Knox made a steal, scored and was fouled at the 1:46 mark. Though he missed the free throw, Wallace scored to make it 37-27.
But that was the last of Bryant White’s scoring. Benton hit some free throws after that to extend the margin to its final difference.
BENTON 41, BRYANT WHITE 27
Eighth grade
Bryant White 4 4 5 14 — 27
Benton 11 12 6 12 — 41
BRYANT WHITE 27
Nichols 2-19 4-7 8, Knox 2-8 2-5 6, Gannaway 0-4 1-2 1, Vinson 1-4 3-6 5, Gilmore 0-0 1-2 1, Everett 0-5 0-0 0, Montgomery 1-3 2-2 4, Cage 0-1 0-2 0, Wallace 1-2 0-0 1, Dunbar 0-0 0-0 0. Totals7-46 (15%) 13-26 (50%) 27.
BENTON 41
Stephens 1-3 4-4 6, Morgan 3-6 2-3 8, Davis 2-3 8-10 12, Brazell 3-4 0-0 7, Gray 2-4 0-3 5, Phillips 0-1 0-2 0, Kelly 0-1 0-0 0, Lane 0-0 0-0 0, Rose 0-0 0-0 0, Womack 1-1 0-2 3, Bell 0-0 0-0 0, Rook 0-0 0-0 0. Totals12-23 (52%) 14-24 (58%) 41.
Three-point field goals:Bryant White 0-7 (Nichols 0-4, Knox 0-2, Gannaway 0-1), Benton 3-5 (Gray 1-2, Brazell 1-1, Womack 1-1, Kelly 0-1). Turnovers:Bryant White 8, Benton 22. Rebounds:Bryant 16-7 23 (Vinson 4-2 6, Cage 4-1 5, Nichols 2-0 2, Everett 2-0 2, Knox 1-0 1, Gannaway 1-0 1, Gilmore 0-1 1, Montgomery 0-1 1, Wallace 0-1 1, team 2-1 3), Benton 9-26 35 (Davis 2-9 11, Brazell 1-6 7, Phillips 2-4 6, Morgan 1-1 2, Gray 0-2 2, Stephens 0-1 1, Kelly 0-1 1, Womack 1-0 1, team 2-2 4). Team fouls:Bryant White 21, Benton 14. Fouled out:Benton, Brazell.
