HOT SPRINGS — The quality of a team is sometimes best measured by the quality of its response when challenged.
On Friday night, the Bryant Hornets football team showed its quality by responding to North Little Rock cutting its lead to 14-7 in the third quarter, with a dash down the field for an answering score in just a minute and 33 seconds. They made that hold up for their second Class 7A State championship.
Admittedly not on so large a stage, the Bryant Hornets basketball team showed its quality by responding to a challenge from the Hot Springs Trojans at the ESPN Showcase at Hot Springs High School. Going into the closing seconds of the first quarter, the Hornets found themselves trailing the inspired Trojans 18-9.
They responded, however, with a 21-4 finish to the first half to establish the lead.
The Trojans started the second half with a run that whittled the lead down to 3 only to have the Hornets respond with a 16-2 blitz as they forged a 59-45 victory.
“Hot Springs seems to start every game like that,” related Bryant head coach Mike Abrahamson. “They played West Memphis, they were up 13-0. They played McClellan and they got up early. They played Jacksonville last night and got up early. They start games like they’re shot out of a cannon.
“Of course, we wanted to withstand that and not have that happen to us, but it did,” he acknowledged.
“We weren’t playing the way we wanted to play,” he said. “And we were allowing them to play to their strengths. So, we just called a timeout and challenged them, and it got a little bit better. We started the second quarter and the players were talking and they were challenging each other. It didn’t just come from me and that’s a good sign.
“The defense cranked up,” the coach related. “(Hot Springs) scored 18 in the first quarter. That’s a 72-point pace. They finished in the 40’s. That’s pretty good after that first quarter.”
Treylon Payne finished with a game-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Aiden Adams and A.J. Jenkins scored 9 each. Camren Hunter added 7 points and six assists with Khasen Robinson coming off the bench to score 6.
Caleb Campbell paced the Trojans with 16 points. Santiair Thomas finished with 10 points. Adrian Conway scored 8.
“Their size was difficult for us,” said Abrahamson. “At first, our players were just trying to feel out what they were trying to do on offense, and we were doing a little bit of watching and standing and reacting and following guys.
“Once we got down and gave up 18 points and got challenged, they started anticipating, jumping to the ball, talking, staying in their stance, forcing them into more outside shots and contested outside shots, getting rebounds and really playing the way we practice.
“And our offense, too, sharing the ball and not getting caught up in the way Hot Springs wanted to play,” the coach continued. “We like to play fast, but we like to play fast our way. There are different ways to play fast, different things that you’re looking for.
“We love to share the ball,” he concluded. “That’s when we’re the best. We started doing that and getting open looks, made some shots. Of course, that helps your defense too. It was all working together.”
The first of Payne’s four 3-pointers had the Hornets up 3-2 early on but that’s when Hot Springs began to get hot. With two minutes left in the quarter, however, a Jenkins layup had the Hornets hanging in, down 11-9.
But a 3 by Latrell Ellis spurred the Trojans. An offensive rebound bucket by Deante Sanders then another by Campbell pushed the margin to 9.
A stickback by Hunter with :06 left in the period started the turning of the tide as the opening period ended 18-11.
Still, the Trojans held on to the advantage. But the Hornets were cutting into the lead. With 4:40 left in the half, Payne’s 3 made it a one-point game, 22-21.
After a Bryant timeout to save possession after a Trojans’ turnover, Adams popped a triple to put the Hornets ahead to stay.
While holding Hot Springs scoreless over the final 4:55, Payne added a pair of layups, the second off a steal. Another turnover led to Payne feeding Hunter for a layup with :05 left on the clock had the Hornets up 30-22.
Hunter’s kickout for a Payne 3 started the second half and gave the Hornets their first double-digit lead, 33-22.
The Trojans’ rally started with a basket inside by Conway. With 2:09 left, Campbell scored and was fouled. He missed his free throw, but Hot Springs trailed just 33-30.
Hunter fed Robinson for a 3 and, moments later, Adams beat the buzzer with a 3 off a dish from Robinson to make it 42-32 going into the fourth quarter.
Baskets by Robinson off a drive, Jenkins from Payne then a 3 by Hunter pushed the lead to 17, 49-32, forcing a Hot Springs’ timeout.
One final run managed to cut the Bryant lead to 51-41. A sweet pass diagonally across the lane from Hunter to Gavin Brunson ended the Trojans’ rally. Payne and Hunter combined to force a turnover, which led to a layup for Payne going into the last two minutes of the game.
Phenomenally, the Hornets did not shoot a free throw in the game, which included a lot of physical defense by both teams, until the fourth quarter. They converted enough to preserve the win.
Now 4-1 on the season, the Hornets will start play in the annual Jammin’ For Jackets Tournament at Little Rock Hall. They’ll take on Little Rock McClellan Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
HORNETS 59, TROJANS 45
Score by quarters
BRYANT 11 19 12 17 — 59
Hot Springs 18 4 11 13 — 45
HORNETS (4-1) 59
Hunter 3-9 0-1 7, Payne 8-11 2-2 22, Jenkins 4-5 1-2 9, Adams 3-4 0-0 9, Brunson 1-1 0-2 2, L.Newburn 1-2 0-0 2, Robinson 2-5 1-2 6, O.Newburn 1-2 0-0 2, Montgomery 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-39 (58%) 4-9 (44%) 59.
TROJANS (1-3) 45
Walker 2-9 0-0 4, Campbell 5-13 6-9 16, Conway 4-6 0-0 8, Thomas 4-7 1-3 10, Hughley 1-4 0-1 2, Sanders 1-1 0-0 2, Ellis 1-5 0-0 3, Sledge 0-0 0-0 0, Counts 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-46 (39%) 7-13 (54%) 45.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 9-15 (Payne 4-5, Adams 3-4, Hunter 1-3, Robinson 1-2, O.Newburn 0-1), Hot Springs 2-9 (Ellis 1-5, Thomas 1-1, Campbell 0-2, Walker 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant 22, Hot Springs 19. Rebounds: Bryant 5-19 24 (Payne 0-7 7, Hunter 1-3 4, Adams 1-2 3, Brunson 1-2 3, Jenkins 0-2 2, Robinson 1-1 2, L.Newburn 0-1 1, team 1-1 2), Hot Springs 12-14 26 (Hughley 3-3 6, Campbell 2-3 5, Walker 1-2 3, Conway 1-2 3, Thomas 1-1 2, Sanders 1-1 2, Ellis 1-0 1, Sledge 0-1 1, team 2-1 3). Team fouls: Bryant 17, Hot Springs 12.
