Panthers fall in return

BENTON – After missing four consecutive games due to COVID-19 quarantine, the Benton Panthers got back to basketball for the first time since Jan. 5 on Friday at Charles Ripley Arena in Little Rock to face the Parkview Patriots. The Patriots, though, were not gracious hosts as a 12-0 run to begin the fourth quarter put the game out of reach for the Panthers in an eventual 79-50 defeat in 5A Central Conference play.

The loss drops the Panthers to 7-4 overall, 0-2 in league play while the Patriots improve to 12-2, 5-1.

It was a decent start for the Panthers as they went up 9-5 after a bucket from senior Russ Hooks and and 11-7 with a short jumper by junior Cameron Harris with 3:42 left in the first quarter. The Pats would tie things at 11-11 before Benton senior Chase Ramsey’s 3-pointer made it a 14-11 lead with two and a half minutes to go.

But, Parkview responded late, scoring the final seven points of the quarter to

take an 18-14 lead, and the first seven points of the second quarter with Patriot Cameron Wallace ending the 14-0 run with a bucket before Benton senior Kolby

Payne’s offensive rebound and put back stopped the bleeding to make it a 25-16 Panther deficit with 4:55 left to go until halftime.

Benton would score just seven points total in the second quarter as the Patriots finished the frame on a 10-5 run to lead 35-21 at the half.

A three from Wallace

started the scoring in the third quarter and put Parkview up 38-21, but the Panthers would battle back, responding with an 11-3 run capped by a Harris layup to make it a 41-32 Benton deficit with 2:51 left in the quarter. It was back and forth the rest of the way as junior Andrew Williamson’s

offensive rebound and put back got Benton to within 49-37 at the end of three.

But, the Patriots started the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run and never looked back.

Harris and Hooks both scored 11 points to lead the Panthers, with Harris adding four rebounds. Williamson had nine points

and three rebounds, Payne had eight points and eight rebounds, and senior Jaylen Bell had three points and six assists.

For Parkview, Wallace led all scorers with 21 points, adding four rebounds.

Benton shot 20 of 47

(42 percent) from the field to Parkview’s 26 of 54 (48

percent), with the Panthers committing 20 turnovers to the Pats 14. Benton shot just 6 of 14 from the freethrow line to Parkview’s 15 of 26.

Benton is back in action Tuesday, hosting the Maumelle Hornets on senior night at Benton Arena.