Hornets notch first conference victory
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Early in the season, the Bryant Hornets had their struggles at the free-throw line. So much so that coaches Mark Smith and Chad Withers speculated that it would one day cost them a win.
So, there was some trepidation when it became apparent that in the Hornets’ AAAAA-Central Conference game with the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats, they’d have to win it at the line.
The game, a must-win situation after the Hornets had dropped their first three league contests, was tight down the stretch after the Wildcats had overcome a 12-point second-half deficit to tie it at 35 late in the third quarter. But the Hornets never fell behind as they converted 15 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter, 22 of 29 in the game and actually pulled away late for a 61-50 victory.
Bryant’s first conference victory was their 10th overall this season. North Little Rock fell to 1-3 versus the league as well, 6-9 altogether.
“With about five minutes to go, you realized it was going to be a free-throw shooting contest, at least from our standpoint, and we made the ones we had to make,” acknowledged Withers. “That was definitely encouraging.”
No doubt, the Hornets were focused for the game.
“We knew that we had to get this game and we knew what we had to do and we came out and we did it,” stated senior forward Chase Shaw, whose only 2 points of the game (to go with seven rebounds) came on clutch fourth-quarter free throws. “We had to come out and fight with everything that we had.
“Everybody stepped up and started hitting their free throws. That was big,” he added. “It showed a lot from everybody, from sophomore to senior, everyone hit their free throws tonight, really stepped up.”
“We told them that they can still reach the goals that we’ve been striving for all year,” Withers commented. “We told them that tonight was a must and I thought they responded.”
The Hornets shot 50 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Wildcats 33-29 which helped make up for 16 turnovers. Though down from the 19 they suffered in their previous 2-point loss to Little Rock Hall, that was still too high a number for the coaches.
“We executed a little bit better,” Withers said. “We’ve still got some things to improve on. What’s tough about everybody we play is that they get right up in your face and make you make quick decisions. If you can take care of the ball making quick decisions, you’ll be all right. If you’re not, you’ll be in trouble.”
Most of Bryant’s problems with that came in the third quarter during North Little Rock’s rally. They suffered seven turnovers during the period.
The Wildcats had a chance to take the lead after Michael Jackson Jr. tied it. He was also rewarded a free throw but he missed it only to have teammate Chancellor Jones rebound. But, on a follow up, Jackson misfired. Moments later, Bryant sophomore Chad Knight, following his own miss, was fouled. He converted both free throws to give Bryant a 37-35 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Hornets never relinquished the lead after that. Jeremy Nordman’s layup off a nice feed from Phillip Porchay bumped the lead to 4 to start the final period and the lead fluctuated from 2 to 4 until midway through the quarter. Bryant’s points answering North Little Rock baskets came on free throws by Shaw, Taylor Masters and Micah Farish.
With 4:09 left to play, the Wildcats’ Deamarkus Lipscomb hit a running jumper to get his team within 45-43. The cycle was broken on Bryant’s next possession as Nordman, who led all scorers with 20 points, knocked down his third 3-pointer of the game.
North Little Rock had two chances to keep pace but a missed shot and a turnover ensued. After a Bryant timeout, Masters drove the baseline for a basket to bump the lead to 50-43.
At the other end, the Wildcats fed the post and 6-6 Phillip Dokes. But Nordman set up and took a charge to prevent a basket. Moments later, Farish drove for a layup and a 52-43 lead with 1:41 to go.
The Wildcats, attacking the offensive boards, whittled the lead back to 5 before Chris Chumley came through at the line. North Little Rock turned the ball over and Nordman hit a pair to make it 56-47.
A 3-pointer by Andre Clark made it a 6-point game with :45 left but that was the end of the Wildcats’ scoring. Free throws by Farish, Chumley and Nordman took the last bit of fight out of them.
The Hornets opened the game taking advantage of North Little Rock’s aggressive defense with their Princeton-style back-cut offense. After Farish got his second layup of the game off a nice feed from Chumley at the 4:36 mark of the first quarter, Bryant led 8-1 and North Little Rock needed a timeout.
Bryant led 12-5 before Lipscomb beat the buzzer with a 35-foot 3-pointer. Unfazed, the Hornets continued where they left off when the second period commenced. It was 17-12 going into the final five minutes of the half. Nordman and Porchay they flushed back-to-back treys and Farish added a driving layup to extend the margin to 25-12, the largest of the game.
The Hornets led 27-17 at the half and, after Nordman scored inside on a nice inbounds pass from Porchay to start the second half, the margin was back to 12. Jackson then sparked North Little Rock’s rally with a jumper in the lane, the first basket of an 18-6 run.
Jackson finished with 16 points, Lipscomb 12 for the Wildcats. Farish had 13, Porchay 10 and Chumley 8 to go with Nordman’s 20.
