The Bryant Hornets faced a top 10 team in the state in the Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies and the Grizzlies showed why they have such a high ranking. Northside hit 13 3-pointers on their way to a 70-52 victory over Bryant in 7A Central Conference play at the Hornet’s Nest Friday.
“They were awesome,” Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said. “The only ones (3-pointers) I’m really upset about are the ones that came off of offensive rebounds, which were maybe about five of them. But, they were awesome. Some of those threes were deep, contested, they were phenomenal.”
The Hornets (13-8, 4-4 Central) tied it at 5-5 after freshman Camren Hunter’s 3-pointer assisted by junior Rodney Lambert early in the first quarter, but the Grizzlies’ (16-6, 7-1) barrage of threes began as Arkansas signee, senior Isaiah Joe, started a 9-0 run with a triple to put Northside up 14-5 before sophomore Noah Gordon hit back-to-back threes assisted by Joe. After a free throw from Bryant senior Deron Canada, Joe would hit a 3-pointer from about 30 feet out with two seconds left for the 17-6 lead after one.
The Grizzly threes kept coming in the second quarter. Bryant cut it to 25-13 with a bucket by Lambert, but Northside senior Kentrell Jacobs hit a three to put it at 28-13 midway through the quarter. Bryant sophomore post player Catrell Wallace came up big with an offensive rebound and put back, as well as an 8-footer assisted by Hunter to cut it to 28-17, but a three by Javion Releford made it 31-17.
Bryant sophomore Khalen Robinson responded with a 3-pointer, but an offensive rebound and put back by a Grizzly and another Joe three made it 36-20 before Wallace’s layup made it a 36-22 Northside lead at the half.
The Hornets fought back in the third quarter as after a floater by Joe for the first bucket of the second half made it a 16-point game, a three by Canada, a 5-footer from Robinson and a bucket by Lambert brought it within nine, 38-29, with 5:47 left in the quarter.
Northside 53,
Bryant 21
The Bryant Lady Hornets held tough for most of the game, but the size and talent of the Northside Lady Grizzlies would catch up with them in a 53-21 Bryant loss Friday in 7A Central Conference action at the Hornet’s Nest in Bryant.
Northside (19-2, 7-1) is the fourth-ranked team in the state, according the maxpreps.com, and Bryant (8-12, 3-5) made it interesting until midway through the third quarter.
Down 26-15 at halftime, the Lady Hornets got a 3-pointer from sophomore Tierra Trotter to make it a 30-18 game with 3:12 left in the third quarter.
“I think with three, three and a half to go (in third quarter), it’s 30-18 and it’s not like we’re lighting it up offensively,” Bryant Coach Brad Matthews said. “We did not shoot a high percentage and we were right there. We were a couple of buckets away being right there with a top two, top three team in the state not playing that well. And then boom, boom, boom, it gets out of reach.”
The Lady Hornets took a timeout after Trotter’s 3-pointer, but Grizzly freshman Jersey Wolfenbarger hit a three out of that timeout which started a 10-0 run before Lady Hornet junior Kalia Walker hit a 10-foot jumper for the 40-20 Northside lead after three. Bryant would not score in the fourth quarter until Trotter hit 1 of 2 free throws with no time left on the clock.
Bryant hits the road on Tuesday to take on the Catholic Rockets in Little Rock.