Jr. Wolves, Cats get better of Benton
PEARCY – It’s been a tough go of it for both the boys and girls Benton Junior High squads of late. After the Jr. Panthers defeated Conway Blue in overtime two Thursdays ago, they have dropped two straight, including a loss at home to the North Little Rock Jr. Wildcats Monday, and most recently a 57-30 defeat to the Lake Hamilton Jr. Wolves in Pearcy in Central Arkansas Junior High Conference action.
The Jr. Lady Panthers (2-8, 1-4) have lost four straight, most recently a 32-14 loss at Lake Hamilton Thursday and a 37-22 defeat to North Little Rock Monday.
“We just really struggled to score the basketball,” Benton Lady Panther Coach Kelly Scott said. “We played well defensively and gave us a chance, but we just couldn’t score the basketball.”
Benton trailed 5-3 after one quarter to the Lady Wolves and 20-9 at the half, in which the Lady Panthers were 2 for 16 from the field down low and missed five free throws.
Things did not go well in the third as the Jr. Lady Panthers managed just one point to trail 28-10 after three, scoring just five points total in the second half.
Benton freshman Kelsey Greer led with nine points, with Presley Pallette and
Lariah Hawkins adding two each.
The Benton eighthgraders also lost 22-6, with Emma Welch, Natalie Barham and Mccartney Asher scoring two points apiece.
Though the Benton freshmen were beaten 37-22 by NLR Monday, Scott was proud his team against a very good squad.
“We probably played one of our best games of the year,” he said. “NLR is by far the best team in the league and hasn’t been played very closely all year. Our kids played really hard and executed the game plan well.”
Benton trailed just 8-7 after one quarter, but scoring woes led to low outputs the next two quarters with the Lady Panthers down 23-11 at the half, in which NLR finished on a 9-0 run. The two teams were even in the third with three points each and the Lady Cats held Benton at bay the rest of the way.
“We played with great energy and came up short to a team who really dominated us the last time we played,” Scott said.
Benton eighth-grader Addisyn Chism led with five points, with Greer, Hawkins and Brynn Barbaree scoring four each. Addison Barger added two.
The Benton eighth-grade squad was edged 20-17 by NLR on Monday, with Parker Stearns leading the way with six points and Elle Bolding five points, with Bel Butler, Chism and Lydia Bethards scoring two each.
For the Benton boys, the Jr. Panthers would get doubled up 16-8 in the first quarter against Lake Hamilton Thursday, but played a little better in the second quarter to trail 27-17 at the half.
But, Benton managed just five points in the third quarter, allowing the Jr. Wolves to push their lead to 38-22 after three quarters. LH dominated the fourth with 19 points.
Freshman Chris Barnard led Benton with 11 points, with Carter Hedden adding nine. Eighth-grader Elias Payne had six points and freshman Maddox Davis three.
In Benton’s 51-46 overtime victory over Conway Blue the Thursday before, Payne scored 19 points, with Barnard and Hedden adding 13 each. Davis scored three.
Both the Benton boys and girls return to action Monday, hosting Conway White in more CAJHC play.