BRYANT -- Bryant turned the fourth quarter at the Hornets Nest into a house of horrors for Cabot on Friday night.
Bryant (14-3, 3-1 7A-Central), which trailed 30-26 entering the fourth quarter, outscored Cabot (13-2, 3-1) 24-10 in the final eight minutes to defeat the Panthers 50-40.
The Hornets were solid at the free-throw line, making 22 of 28 overall to the Panthers' 3 of 7.
"That's huge," Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said of his team's success at the free-throw line. "Not just making them, but the differential. Making them was huge. We haven't always done that."
Senior guard Romen Martin led the Hornets with 17 points. Senior forward Lowell Washington had 12 points and classmate Braylon Steen added nine points.
Cabot senior guard Jarrod Barnes, who led the Panthers with 11 points, hit a three-pointer to give the Panthers a 33-26 lead with 7:33 left in the fourth quarter.
The Hornets then went on a 13-0 run to take a 39-33 lead with 3:47 remaining. Martin made a three-pointer to give Bryant a 35-33 lead with 4:58 left and senior Marvin Moody and Washington followed with baskets to cap the Hornets' run.
The Panthers cut the lead to 41-37 with about two minutes remaining on senior forward Matt Stanley's basket, but Bryant pushed the lead back to 43-37 with two Martin free throws.
With 1:09 remaining and the score still 43-37, Cabot thought it was going to get the ball back, believing that junior Matt Allgood had drawn a charging foul on Martin. But the officials met briefly and eventually gave the foul to Allgood. Cabot Coach Jerry Bridges expressed his displeasure with the call, going to midcourt to argue with an official.
"[The officials] weren't noticed in the first three quarters, but they were noticed in the fourth," Bridges said. "But Bryant beat us. I don't want to take nothing away from them. I love Coach Abrahamson. We're good friends. They've got a good team.
"But it was questionable, some of the stuff that happened."
Martin made both free throws after the foul on Allgood and Bryant was able to close the game out at the free-throw line. The Hornets were 11 of 13 at the line in the fourth quarter while Cabot went to the line and missed its only attempt.
CABOT (40)
Duncan 1 2-4 4, Barnes 4 0-0 11, Brown 2 0-0 6, Gilbertson 3 1-2 9, Stanley 3 0-1 6, Weir 1 0-0 2, Allgood 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 3-7 40.
BRYANT (50)
Washington 6 0-0 12, Steen 2 4-6 9, Allen 1 5-6 7, Martin 2 12-13 17, Moody 1 1-3 3, Chumley 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 22-28 50.
Cabot (13-2) 14 5 11 10 -- 40
Bryant (14-3) 6 12 8 24 -- 50
Three-point goals -- Cabot 7 (Barnes 3, Brown 2, Gilbertson 2); Bryant 2 (Martin, Steen). Team fouls -- Cabot 18, Bryant 15.
Sports on 01/21/2017