Bryant sweeps Cabot at home
BRYANT – The Bryant basketball teams picked up a pair of wins Friday at Hornet Arena in 6A Central action against Cabot. While the Lady Hornets played a close 40-37 game over the Lady Panthers in the first affair, the Hornets absolutely demolished the Panthers, taking a 64-24 victory.
The Lady Hornets improve to 8-4 overall and picked up their first league win to move to 1-2, while the Lady Panthers fall to 6-13, 2-4.
Bryant led 14-11 after the first quarter and upped it to 22-17 at the half, but Cabot whittled it away in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Hornets 10-7 to get within 29-27 going into the final quarter.
Bryant junior Parris Atkins was big down the stretch in the win. Leading 36-33, Atkins’ back-to-back buckets put the Lady Hornets up 40-33 and they would hang on for the victory.
Atkins led everyone with 17 points and 10 rebounds, with freshman Brilynn Findley following with 12
points. Sophomore Emileigh Muse added six points in the win.
The boys game was not as close. The Hornets improved to 13-2 overall and 4-2 in the Central, leading 21-10 after one quarter. Bryant ramped up the defense in the second quarter holding the Panthers (2-14, 0-6) to just four points in taking a 35-14 lead at the half.
The Hornets didn’t let up in the second half, allowing just 10 more Panther points the rest of the way.
Bryant junior Kade Ruffner led all scorers with 12 points, adding four rebounds, with junior Gabe George following with 11 points on 3 of 5 shooting from long range. Senior Camren Hunter hit 4 of 5 shots for 10 points, senior Gavin Brunson had seven points and four rebounds, and junior Will Diggins added six points.
Bryant forced 25 Cabot turnovers, committing just 12 themselves, while shooting 25 of 48 (52 percent) to the Panthers 9 of 30 (30 percent).
Both the Bryant boys and girls return to action Tuesday, traveling to North Little Rock to take on the Charging Wildcats in more conference play.