Bryant White holds off NLR

Brooks Ellis raises up in a crowd for North Little Rock defenders to get a shot away. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Tristan Calhoun scored 16 points including a trio of 3’s and Kaevon Jones provided a spark off the bench with 9 points and nine rebounds as the Bryant White Hornets eighth grade team of Bryant Middle School forged a 45-41 win over North Little Rock at the East Academy gym on Thursday night.

The victory improved Bryant White to 8-5 going into a season finale on Tuesday, Feb. 11, against Lake Hamilton.

Jones led the Hornets on the boards where they had a decided advantage, out-rebounding the Wildcats 35-24. Jake Forst and Brooks Ellis each gathered in six caroms. Brandon Hill added 8 points and Forst 4. Brandon Hopkins and Scott Schmidt pitched in with 3 points apiece. Ellis scored 2.

After trailing early, the Hornets outscored the Wildcats 14-2 in the second quarter and never trailed in the second half. Bryant White led by as much as 10 then held off a late surge by North Little Rock, which cut it to 21 in the final 30 seconds. A layup by Calhoun with :03.6 showing set the final score.

Calhoun opened the game with a 3 but North Little Rock scored the next 8 points. A five-point spree by Calhoun including his second triple tied it but a 3 by North Little Rock made it 11-8 going into the second stanza.

The Hornets turned it over but Jones blocked a shot and, at the other end, grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to cut it to 1. Forst made a steal but missed his shot only to have Jones rebound. He was fouled and tied it at the line.

Kaevon Jones hauls down a rebound. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)

North Little Rock’s last lead came on a subsequent layup, making it 13-11, but Jones scored inside again and Calhoun added a free throw off a drive to the rack.

Brandon Murray came up with a steal and it eventually led to Calhoun’s third trey and a 17-13 advantage. Another basket inside by Jones kept the run going. He blocked another shot as well. When North Little Rock retrieved the ball, Murray and his teammates’ defense forced a five-second call.

In the final minute, Hopkins was fouled twice and converted 3 of 4 free throws to make it 22-13 at the break.

The Charging Wildcats surged to start the second half, cutting the margin to 22-20 before Ellis powered for a basket with 4:47 left in the quarter to get the Hornets going. Hill drove for a basket and, after a steal by Ellis, got free for a layup to make it 28-20.

After North Little Rock interrupted, Hill canned an eight-foot jumper. Another basket by North Little Rock was trumped by Schmidt, who drained a 3 from the corner to bump it back to the halftime margin 33-24.

The Wildcats cut it back to 4 but Forst drove for a layup to make it 35-29 going into the fourth quarter. And when Hill fed Jones for the first hoop of the fourth, it was an 8-point game. Forst’s basket with 5:05 left provided the Hornets with their first double-digit advantage.

North Little Rock closed with a 12-4 stretch before Calhoun’s capper. Bryant’s maintained during that run with layups by Calhoun and Hill.