Benton falls to Cabot on road

CABOT – The Benton Lady Jr. Panthers fell for the sixth straight game Thursday, dropping a 34-21 decision to Cabot North on the road. The loss puts the Lady Panthers ninth-grade squad at 2-10 overall, 1-6 in the Central Arkansas Junior High Conference.

Cabot North would jump on Benton, leading 12-3 after one quarter before taking a 17-9 advantage at the half. The third quarter proved detrimental late to the Jr. Lady Panthers as Cabot outscored Benton 14-5 to take a 31-14 lead going into the final quarter.

“We left their good shooters open too many times and they capitalized and knocked down big shots,” Benton Coach Kelly Scott said. “We cut into the lead at the very beginning of the third quarter to get it down to six points, but they hit three big 3-point shots that allowed them to separate from us.”

Freshman Brynn Barbaree led the Jr. Lady Panthers with 10 points, with Kelsey Greer adding five.

Benton was scheduled to play Bryant on the road Monday to close out the regular season, but the Jr. Lady Hornets are currently in COVID-19 quarantine so the game has been canceled. Benton will know its seed in the CAJHC Tournament, which begins Monday, Feb. 15, at Lake Hamilton, after Monday’s season-finale games.

Conway White 49, Benton 24

The Jr. Lady Panthers also got off to a slow start Monday in a 49-24 loss to Conway White on the road. Benton trailed 12-0 after one, fought back in the second to get within 18-12, but White would finish the quarter on a 12-0 run for the 30-12 advantage at the half.

“They played really well and shot the ball well,” Scott said of Conway.

Benton freshman Presley Pallette led the way with eight points, with Barbaree, Addison Barger and Greer adding four points each.

The Benton eighth-graders eked by Conway White on Monday, 25-23.

Parker Stearns would get the game-winning put back with 0.2 seconds remaining for the W. Stearns also led the way with 14 points.

Lydia Bethards followed with five points, with Keily Davis and Natalie Barham adding two apiece.

The eighth-grade girls will play Monday at Bryant to end their season.