Three-point shooting made a difference in a first-round matchup in the King Cotton Holiday Classic on Friday.
Bishop Ireton out of Alexandria, Va., defeated Benton 74-61 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, denying the Panthers a chance to face Saline County rival Bryant in the semifinals.
Ireton made eight 3-pointers to Benton’s two. Benton freshman Anthony Spratt Jr. made the Panthers’ first 3-point shot with 3:57 to play after the Panthers went 0 of 5 in the first half and didn’t attempt one in the third quarter.
Benton’s free throw shooting also hurt the Panthers. Although Benton got to the line more frequently than Ireton, the Panthers made just 15 of 28 attempts. The Cardinals shot a perfect 16 of 16.
The teams traded the lead three times in the first quarter before Ireton took the lead for good. The Panthers led for just 1:28 with two ties.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Benton hung around most of the night, but Ireton didn’t allow the Panthers to go on enough of a run to threaten the lead. Anytime the Panthers started to build momentum, Ireton had a response, such as a 3-pointer by Wyatt Klein late in the third quarter to cut short a Benton run, keeping Ireton ahead 50-44 entering the fourth.
Ireton junior Silas Devonish scored a game-high 24 points, while Klein and Jake Bahr scored 18 apiece.
Benton senior Terrion Burgess led the Panthers with 16 points. AD Gray scored 15, while Javarious Russell followed with 11. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff commit Harrison Pickett scored 10.
Bryant 73, Waxahachie 43
After falling behind in the first quarter, Bryant brushed off its slow start to dominate Waxahachie (Texas) 73-43 in the King Cotton first round.
The Indians (9-7) led by as much as 19-10 in the first quarter, but the Hornets dominated the rest of the game.
Bryant (9-5) outscored Waxahachie 18-5 in the second quarter, 25-9 in the third and 17-8 in the fourth. The Indians scored 21 points in the first quarter and 22 in the remaining three.
Hornet senior R.J. Newton scored a game-high 22 points, followed by juniors Camarion Bead with 21 and RJ Young with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Waxahachie junior Trae Nunn led the Indians with 13 points.
R.J. Newton of Bryant goes for a fast-break layup against Waxahachie (Texas) in a King Cotton Holiday Classic game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)