CONWAY -- Calvin Allen scored 20 points and the Bryant Hornets scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to take down Springdale Har-Ber 57-47 in the John Stanton Classic at Buzz Bolding Arena on Friday night.
Har-Ber trailed 33-23 at the half but managed to take a 35-34 lead with 3:45 left in the third quarter after Ryan Taylor's fourth three-pointer. But Bryant scored the next six points and never trailed again. The Hornets held a 40-39 lead entering the final quarter.
"We were having some trouble defending their ball screen in the third quarter," Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said. "We did a pretty decent job against it in the first half. They were getting in the lane on us and they were making some things happen."
Har-Ber (5-3) was 6 of 12 from the floor in the third quarter, including 3 of 4 from three-point range. Bryant went almost four minutes without a point to start the second half and did not get its first field goal of the half until Romen Martin's three-pointer with 2:43 left in the third quarter. The Hornets (8-1) were 2 of 10 from the floor in the third quarter, but rebounded to hit 5 of 8 shots in the fourth.
"When you play in a high level like that, spurts is the name of the game," Har-Ber Coach Scott Bowlin said. "When you get into a game like this, it's always about who has that last spurt and who makes that last play."
Senior forward Braylon Steen helped start Bryant's final push, scoring four of his eight points in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. Steen finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.
Bryant finished 21 of 43 from the floor and outrebounded Har-Ber 28-21. The Wildcats were 18 of 37 from the floor.
"I think Bryant is an outstanding team," Bowlin said. "I think they're a team that you're going to have to deal with sometime in March. I was really proud of how we competed and stayed with it.
"I think it came down to a point in the fourth quarter where we were down five or six points and we took three bad three-pointers. They were shot too quickly. If they go in, great. But they didn't and Bryant was able to go down and convert."
"We knew they were a good team. We knew they would make some adjustments on us," Abrahamson said. "They were well-prepared for us. I think we got their best shot. I've seen them on film and I've seen them [live] a few times. They're getting better. I knew they were good, but I thought that was their best game."
Allen scored 12 of his points in the first half, including a half-ending layup to give Bryant a 10-point lead. Allen scored seven points in the fourth quarter, hitting 4 of 6 free-throw attempts in the final 1:39.
Taylor, a senior guard, and junior Tyler Garrett each finished with 12 points to lead Har-Ber.
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (47)
Perry 3 0-0 6, Williams 3 0-0 6, King 2 0-0 4, Taylor 4 0-0 12, Garrett 4 3-4 12, Kaunitz 1 0-0 3, Boudreaux 0 2-2 2, Ware 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 5-6 47.
BRYANT (57)
Martin 5 0-0 12, Turner 0 0-0 0, Allen 6 7-12 20, Moody 1 0-3 2, Steen 3 2-3 8, Chumley 0 0-0 0, McIntosh 1 0-0 3, Canada 1 1-2 3, Washington 4 1-3 9. Totals 21 11-23 57.
Springdale Har-Ber (5-3) 9 14 16 8 -- 47
Bryant (8-1) 9 24 7 17 -- 57
Three-point goals -- Har-Ber 6 (Taylor 4, Garrett, Kaunitz); Bryant 4 (Martin 2, Allen, McIntosh). Team fouls -- Har-Ber 19, Bryant 9.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK 78,
VAN BUREN 33
Senior forward Deion Dobbins scored 16 points and the Charging Wildcats hit 10 three-pointers on their way to trouncing the Pointers in Friday's early game.
North Little Rock (5-3) led 16-7 after one quarter and 34-14 at the half.
Dobbins scored 10 of his points in the third quarter and finished with six rebounds. Senior B.J. Walker added 15 points while handing out four assists. Senior guard Jarvis Ricks had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Sophomore forward Shawn Fudge added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Van Buren junior guard Jordan Weat scored 14 points, but no other Pointer had more than four points.
Van Buren had 17 turnovers, 11 of which came in the first half. North Little Rock had eight steals in the first half, 14 for the game.
North Little Rock outrebounded Van Buren 38-21 and took 21 more shots (61 to 40) from the floor.
Sports on 12/17/2016