Hall’s 13-0 run leaves Benton in early hole

LR HALL 55, BENTON 45

Sophomore forward Robert Verges scored 15 points Tuesday night to lead the Little Rock Hall Warriors to a 55-45 victory over the Benton Panthers at Cirks Arena.

Verges scored nine points in the first seven minutes of the game. His three-point play, on a rebound layup and a free throw after he was fouled by junior Jake Scoggins, gave Hall a 13-0 lead with 1:48 left in the first quarter.

“I thought we guarded Benton’s set plays real well,” Hall Coach Jon Coleman said. “We were pleased by our players’ recognition on the court.”

“We got in a hole there early on and we were trying to play catch-up the whole game,” Benton Coach Dexter Hendrix said. “But you have to give Hall credit. They did a great job defensively.”

Benton played Hall (15-6, 6-2 6A-South) close to even through the remainder of the first half but trailed 28-16 after junior guard Dayton Artis hit a three-pointer with 1:50 left.

During a timeout, Hendrix told his players they should attempt to pull within 10 points by the end of the half.

Benton (13-8, 4-4) responded with two three-pointers. Sophomore Weston Riddick hit the first with 1:30 left and Scoggins the second, just before the buzzer, to cut Hall’s lead to 28-19.

Scoggins and junior guard Clay Anderson led Benton with 13 points.

Hall began the second half with an 11-3 run, which included points on six consecutive possessions. Senior forward Drelane Walters tipped in a missed shot with 4:12 left in the third quarter to give Hall a 39-22 lead.

Sophomore reserve forward Issac Beal scored all eight of his points in the fourth quarter to help squelch any chance of a Benton comeback. His final points came when he slammed in an alley-oop pass from senior point guard Eric Daily to give Hall a 49-36 lead with 4:30 left.