Bryant’s 20-1 run cinches comeback
BRYANT 59, VAN BUREN 53
CONWAY — With its starting point guard slowed by an injury, Bryant struggled trying to get into an offensive groove for much of Saturday’s game against Van Buren.
The Hornets solved that problem in the fourth quarter thanks to Khalen Robinson.
The sophomore guard scored 13 of his game-high 24 points during the final eight minutes as Bryant battled back from a double-digit deficit in the second half to knock off the Pointers 5953 in the John Stanton Classic at Buzz Bolding Arena in Conway.
“It was a team effort, especially defensively, but offensively we put the ball in Khalen’s hands,” Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said. “Khalen’s a very skilled player, but he’s so coachable. He’s a team guy through and through, and he just wants to do whatever it takes to win.”
Bryant (7-3) had to play most of the game without freshman point guard Camren Hunter, who’s battling a hip injury. Robinson is dealing with a sprained right hand while junior guard Rodney Lambert, who finished with 16 points, played with a broken nose. To compound matters, the Hornets were playing their 10th game over the past 19 days, but it was Van Buren (6-4) that ran out of gas late.
The Pointers led by as much as 15 in the second half and held a 49-37 lead after a basket by senior forward Gavin Ball with 7:47 left in the game, but Van Buren didn’t hit its next shot until 12 seconds remained.
“Somehow, we pulled into the gas station and got some fuel,” Abrahamson said. “We don’t make excuses, but we’ve got a young team, and we’re banged up. We saw the effects of that yesterday, and some today.
“But it’s amazing what a few turnovers and some easy baskets will do for a team.”
Lambert scored Bryant’s first nine points of the game, and the Hornets hit six of their first seven shots, but they could not separate from the Pointers. Van Buren trailed 20-16 after the first quarter but scored 10 of the first 13 points to start the second quarter, with four different players hitting field goals, to grab a 26-23 lead.
The Pointers scored the final eight points of the second quarter to take a 34-25 lead into halftime. Van Buren’s advantage ballooned to 49-34 in the third quarter before Bryant made its move.
Down 49-37 with less than seven minutes left, Bryant turned up its defensive pressure, and Robinson scored 13 points during a 20-1 Hornets’ run. His steal and layup tied the game at 50-50 with 3:43 remaining, and his no-look assist to Lambert on the next possession gave Bryant a lead it wouldn’t give up.
“I’m proud of these guys,” Abrahamson said. “It took a while to get into Van Buren’s legs a little bit, but we finally did there in the fourth, and we pulled it out.”
Chumley added 11 points for Bryant, which finished 21 of 39 from the floor and outrebounded Van Buren 22-14. Junior guard Presley Kindrix scored 21 points, including 5 three-pointers, for the Pointers, who were 20of-37 shooting. Sophomore forward Brayden Gilmore added 12 points.