Big second-quarter run sets stage for Freshman Hornets’ rout

By Rob Patrick

Fourteen Bryant Hornets freshmen played and 12 of them contributed to the scoring as they buried the Texarkana Razorbacks, 50-22, in the semifinals of the Bryant Invitational Tournament on Tuesday.

The Hornets will play for the championship against North Little Rock Thursday at 8:20 p.m.

Bryant broke out to a 9-0 lead on the Razorbacks. The run included a pair of buckets off the offensive glass by Leon Neale, a 3-pointer by Riley Hall and a stickback by Aaron Bell.

Hall would go on to score a game-high 10 points, Neale finished with 8. Each collected five rebounds to lead the team.

The Hornets led 14-4 at the end of the quarter which was punctuated by Marcus Wilson’s deep buzzer-beating trey.

But when Texarkana answered with a 3 to start the second quarter the lead was just 7. And the Hogs got three chances to get closer. But two turnovers and two missed free throws cost them.[more]

The Hornets finished the quarter with a 16-0 run to take control of the game.

The blitz began with a basket by Neale off a nice dump down pass from the high post by Scott Workman. Luke Rayburn followed with a driving jumper and a free throw the Bell knocked down a nice pull-up-and-pop to make it 21-7.

Hall’s stickback continued the onslaught. Rayburn made a steal which led to a trip to the line and 2 more for Neale. Workman hit the offensive glass for a basket and, once again, the Hornets beat the buzzer with a trey. This time Hall did the honors and the Bryant lead was 30-7.

KeDarius Solomon ended Texarkana’s drought with a 3 to start the second half and Brandon Jetton scored 6 of his team-high 8 points in the third quarter but the Razorbacks couldn’t make up any ground.

Along the way, Jalen Hewitt hit a layup off a feed from Wilson then fed Zach Cambron for a basket. Strodney Davis canned a 15-footer that had the Hornets up 40-14.

Wilson’s layup to start the fourth quarter then Darrell Walton hit a 3 for Texarkana.

But that was the last basket for the Hogs until a buzzer-beating 3 set the final score.

In the interim, Joshua Davis nailed a 3 for the Hornets. Hewitt, James Davis and Austin Privett added free throws to the Bryant total in the final three minutes.

HORNETS 50, RAZORBACKS 22

Score by quarter

Texarkana 4 3 9 6 — 22

BRYANT 14 16 10 10 — 50

JUNIOR RAZORBACKS (22)

Jones 0-3 0-0 0, Jetton 3-7 2-2 8, K.Solomon 1-6 0-0 3, Watson 0-3 0-0 0, Z.Solomon 1-7 0-0 2, Matthews1-4 0-0 3, Walton 1-5 0-2 3, J.Solomon 0-0 0-0 0, Sanders 0-1 0-0 0, Harris 0-1 0-0 0, Byrd 0-0 0-0 0, Hobson 0-1 0-0 0, Kindred 1-3 0-0 3, Swift 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 8-43 2-4 22.

JUNIOR HORNETS (50) 

Rayborn 1-5 1-2 3, Bell 3-6 0-0 6, Hall 4-5 0-0 10, Neale 3-4 2-2 8, Workman 1-2 0-0 2, S.Davis 1-2 0-0 2, Jo.Davis 1-1 0-0 3, Cambron 1-2 0-0 2, Hewitt 1-1 4-4 6, Ja.Davis 0-2 1-2 1, Privett 0-1 2-2 2, McCissock 0-0 0-1 0, Salas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-33 10-13 50.

Three-point field goals: Bryant 4-8 (Hall 2-3, Wilson 1-1, J.Davis 1-1, Rayborn 0-1, Bell 0-1, Privett 0-1), Texarkana 4-20 (K.Solomon 1-5, Matthews 1-3, Walton 1-3, Kindred 1-1, Jones 0-2, Z.Solomon 0-2, Swift 0-2, Harris 0-1, Hobson 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant 19, Texarkana 18. Rebounds: Bryant 33 (Hall, Neale 5, Rayborn 4). Team fouls: Bryant 8, Texarkana 14.