Photos by Kevin Nagle
Cade Brennan (35) looks to get a pass past a Cabot North player. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
The Cabot North Panthers eighth grade basketball team put together a 17-4 run to close out the game, breaking open a 22-17 contest and producing a 39-21 win over the Bryant Blue Hornets of Bethel Middle School on Monday night.
Though they almost all the way, the Panthers just couldn’t shake the Hornets, who were sparked by Kayleb West’s 13 points including a trio of 3-pointers.
But Bethel had a scoring drought that lasted over the final 2:32 of the third quarter and almost a minute into the fourth. Cabot North used the opportunity to build its first double digit lead spurred by 3’s from Ethan Hunt and Austin Poole.
Hunt finished with 12 points, Poole 9 to lead the Panthers.
Bethel out-rebounded Cabot North, 25-17, led by Jonathan Hall’s 11 boards including eight on the offensive end.
Unfortunately, the Hornets’ lone lead of the game was 2-0 after West broke the ice on the contest. Cabot North scored the next 8 points, capped by a three-point play from Poole.
Cade Drennan’s three-point play got Blue going again. West followed with a steal and a basket to cut the margin to 8-7. But a layup from Cabot North’s Clayton Gray made it a 3-point lead going into the second quarter.
Jonathan Hall (31) pulls down one of his 11 rebounds. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
It was 14-7 before West drained the first of his triples with 1:27 left in the half. Gray and River Holland traded free throws and it was 15-11 at the half.
West’s third trey whittled on a 19-11 lead in the third quarter. Poole nailed one in response only to have West sink his third of the game with 2:32 left in the third quarter. That’s when it was 22-17.
Gray drove for a layup and, after a pair of missed free throws at Bethel’s end, Hunt drained a 3 to make it 27-17 going into the fourth quarter.
And when Hunt knocked down a 3 to start the final period, it was a 13-point lead. Drennan interrupted with a basket inside at the 5:06 mark but the Hornets were unable to score again until just 40 seconds remained. By then, the Panthers had pushed the margin to 37-19.
Braden Knight ended the Bethel’s dry spell only to have Jaxon Travis scored in the final 20 seconds to get the final score.
Now 2-2 on the season, the Hornets will play crosstown rival Bryant White in their next game on Monday, Nov. 30.
Kayleb West launches a shot. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Braden Knight
It’s Braden Knight the coach spelt it wrong