It took an extra period to settle third place Monday at the King Cotton Holiday Classic.
Bellaire, Texas, outlasted Bryant in a 68-67 overtime win at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
Bellaire coach Bruce Glover said claiming third place is huge for the Cardinals.
“When we get back (to Texas), we won’t see this,” Glover said. “We’ll see teams coming at us hard, obviously, but we won’t see what we’ve seen up here. So, we’ll be ready (for district play). That’s what this means. We’ll be ready.”
Bryant had momentum entering overtime after junior Camarion Bead hit a contested jumper with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to extend the game beyond the fourth quarter. Bead then scored on the first possession of overtime to give the Hornets the lead, which Bryant eventually extended to 66-60.
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Momentum shifted when Bellaire senior Kohlman Dutton was fouled on a 3-point shot. He made two of the three free throws, starting a 6-0 Cardinal run to tie the game.
Bead made a free throw to restore Bryant’s lead, but Bellaire senior Jaren Brown, who had tied the game from the line, made two-game winning free throws with 4.9 seconds left. Bryant’s shot at the buzzer hit off the side of the backboard, leaving Bellaire victorious.
All of Bellaire’s overtime points came from the free throw line. The Cardinals forced several turnovers with their full court press defense in the latter half of overtime, leading to Bryant fouls.
Glover said the press made Bryant uncomfortable.
“They had to speed up a little bit more than what they’d like to,” Glover said. “We got the ball out of the decision makers’ hands to non-decision makers. We started getting some live ball turnovers and things like that, and we made some timely free throws.”
In the game’s opening minutes, it didn’t seem as though Bellaire would need overtime. The Cardinals began the game on a 13-1 run as Bryant missed its first eight shots from the field.
Bryant junior R.J. Young made the Hornets’ first field goal while drawing a foul with 3:42 to go in the first quarter. He made the free throw, then scored again quickly after a turnover. After a rough start, the Hornets trailed 19-15 after the first quarter.
They hung with the Cardinals the rest of the way and took their first lead with 3:51 to play in regulation, but three free throw misses in overtime left the Hornets a point short in the end.
Dutton led Bellaire with 21 points, followed by Shelton Henderson with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Andrews scored 16 points.
Young led Bryant with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Bead scored 16, and RJ Newton finished with 14.
Benton 69, Waxahachie 62
Benton made sure not to leave King Cotton without a win by opening Monday’s action with a 69-62 win against Waxahachie, Texas.
Panther freshman Anthony Spratt Jr. stood out with a 27-point, 8-rebound performance. A.D. Gray followed with 17 points and 12 rebounds. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff signee Harrison Pickett scored 12 points with a team-high 6 assists.
Benton junior Javarious Russell hit a floater as time expired in the first quarter to give the Panthers an 18-16 lead. Pickett, who scored the day’s first points for the second consecutive day, knocked down a shot to end the second quarter, extending the lead to 35-30.
The Panthers cruised in the second half. Waxahachie kept it close but never truly threatened the Benton lead as both teams finished the tournament 1-2.
The Indians’ loss came despite a 23-point showing by junior Michael Gatewood. Christian Brown added 13.
Springdale Har-Ber 66, Xavier Academy 58
Jacksonville University signee Hayden Wood led Springdale Har-Ber to a 66-58 win against Xavier Academy in the lone Creed Showcase game of King Cotton’s final day.
Wood scored 31 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists to give the Wildcats a win after Har-Ber dropped its first two games of the weekend by a combined 6 points.
Har-Ber scored first and led most of the game. The Wildcats led 38-27 at halftime, but the Falcons closed the gap with a 14-6 third quarter. Xavier junior Dedrick Miles gave the Falcons a 46-44 lead around 2 minutes into the fourth, but Har-Ber sophomore Uno Branch tied it.
Wood put the Wildcats back in front, this time for good, with a 3-point play. Branch hit a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute to put the game away. The Wildcats led for 29:46.
Bradley University signee Montana Wheeler led Xavier with 20 points. Both teams finished the weekend 1-2.
R.J. Young of Bryant fights for a game-winning shot in regulation following a steal against Bellaire, Texas, as Shelton Henderson defends Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in a King Cotton Holiday Classic game. Bryant missed a well-contested shot before the buzzer. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
A.D. Gray of Benton takes off for a two-hand dunk in the fourth quarter against Waxahachie, Texas, in a King Cotton Holiday Classic game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Hayden Wood of Springdale Har-Ber takes a breath before a free throw late in a win over Xavier Academy of Houston in a King Cotton Holiday Classic game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)