Photos by RICK NATION

By Rob Patrick

When you’re playing a team that 26-0 on the season, just clinched their fourth straight 7A-Central Conference championship and is riding a 33 game conference winning streak, you’re team can’t afford to play anything but its best from start to finish.

And that would just give you a chance to win, nothing would be certain about the outcome even then.

You just can’t afford a letdown along the way.

Well, for most of three quarters, the Bryant Lady Hornets, who came in 22-3 overall in their own right and second only to North Little Rock in the 7A-Central Conference standings, stayed right with the top-ranked visitors to the Hornets’ Nest on Tuesday night.

In fact, when Bryant’s Alana Morris posted up for a bucket with 4:42 left in the third period, the Lady Hornets were within a point, 43-42. Even after baskets by North Little Rock’s Kayla Brown and Lexus Williams, Bryant’s Haley Montgomery connected on a pair of free throws that had her team within 47-44 with 1:57 left in the period.

But, it was at that point, that the Lady Wildcats locked into a 15-0 blitz that the Lady Hornets just couldn’t overcome.

North Little Rock closed out a 72-50 win to keep all its streaks intact.

By Rob Patrick

Close.

Time after time this season, the Bryant Hornets basketball team has been close without reward.

And in their final home game of the season, Senior Night, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, it was no different. The North Little Rock Charging Wildcats managed a 55-41 win by hitting a bunch of free throws in the last two minutes but, with 3:15 to go, Bryant was within 44-41.

But, much to their frustration, the Hornets didn’t score after that as the Charging Wildcats pulled away.

“You know, we’ve stayed in most every game,” acknowledged Hornets coach Ron Marvel. “I knew that if we were going to be in a game, it was going to be close. We just haven’t managed to win enough close ballgames. Our team is not blessed with a whole bunch of talent. We just have to play hard to stay in a game. It’s just unfortunate that we didn’t knock down some shots and we could’ve had a really nice season.”

Taylor Neal hit two free throws with :07.5 left in the game to snap a 37-37 tie as the Bryant Lady Hornets junior varsity team eked out a 39-37 win over the North Little Rock JV on Tuesday night.

North Little Rock had just tied the game with a 3-pointer but not all of the Lady Wildcats realized the game was tied. On the way up the floor, Neal reached midcourt and was shoved, one of those unintentional intentional fouls as if North Little Rock needed another possession.

And Neal made them pay, part of her 9 points in the game.

Best wishes and a big thanks to Lana Clifton for contributing news coverage to BryantDaily.com over the last few months.

Lana and her family are moving to Texas for a job opportunity that her husband has accepted.

She’s been a big help and a great addition to the site.

Results of the Bryant Elementary School art contest, conducted by art teachers Jan Patrick and Amber Crenshaw, have been announced. The first-place artworks will be submitted to the Young Arkansas Artists contest while second- and third-place works will be sent to the Saline County Art Guild’s show.

First-place winners (with their grade teacher) included:

LITTLE ROCK — The team of Lee Smothers, Joseph Boshears, Jacob Toland and Collin McDiarmid combined on a time of 1:48.03 in the 200 freestyle relay in the 11-12 age group, setting a 21-year old state record at the Arkansas Swimming State short course championships at UALR, Feb. 12-14.

The quartet was competing for the Central Arkansas Swim Club Racers, a team that includes swimmers from 10 to 18 years of age. The Racers finished third overall. The boys team was third, the girls team fourth in their respective competitions.

Editor’s note: This is a regular feature profiling senior athletes at Bryant High School.

NAME: Haley Montgomery

DATE OF BIRTH: April 17, 1992

PARENTS: Lance and Dixie Montgomery

SIBLINGS: I have a sister, Allison Montgomery. She’s 21.

FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Math

FAVORITE SPARE TIME ACTIVITY: Get on the computer

FAVORITE FOOD: Pizza, I guess. I don’t really know.

FAVORITE MUSIC ARTIST OR GROUP: Country or hip-hop, rap

FAYETTEVILLE — The Bryant Lady Hornet track team scored 29 points to finish in seventh place at the 2010 5A-7A Indoor Track State Championship Saturday held at the Randal Tyson Track Center. Defending champion Bentonville won the meet with 105 points. Fayetteville was runner-up with 79 points in the field of 40 schools.

The highlight performance for the Lady Hornets was Morgan Seelinger’s state-record win in the 60-meter hurdles. Seelinger took the lead from the start and powered away from the field, crossing the line with a time of 9.34. Her time set a new Arkansas state record for 60-meter hurdles, breaking the old record of 9.49 set by Jenna Shepard of Bentonville in 2008.