Page 5 - 2018 TL Basketball Preview

TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018
5TT
BRYANT LADY HORNETS
Talented Bryant team looking to contend in conference
BY NATE OLSON
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Three veteran all-conference stand- outs hope to make the Bryant Lady Hornets a contender in the rugged 7A-Central Conference.
“We look to build on a state-tournament appearance last year,” veteran girls basketball coach Brad Matthews said. “The top teams in 7A will be found in our league in North Little Rock, Conway and Little Rock Central. We look forward to being able to compete with them this season. We have had some really good practices this fall.”
Junior 5-5 guard Sierra Trotter averaged 10.4 points and 3.4 assists per game last sea- son on her way to all-conference and all-state honors. Trotter exploded for a season-high 30 points against Mount St. Mary.
India Atkins, a 5-6 junior, returns to the backcourt with Trotter. She averaged
5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists per game on her way to all-conference hon- ors last winter. Matthews noted that Atkins is “a tremendous on-ball defender.”
Celena Martin, a 5-7 forward, rounds out the junior trio. Martin, also an all-conference honoree, averaged 7.4 points per game and 8 rebounds per conference contest a year ago.
Senior guard Kalia Walker is a two-year starter at guard and has impressed Matthews with her improved consistency overall and with her 3-point shooting.
Senior 6-1 post Robyn Gordon patrols the paint and has worked hard to improve in the offseason, said Matthews, who looks to Gordon to “make a big contribution on both ends of the floor.”
Junior forward McKenzie Muse uses her 6-2 frame to intimidate in the paint, but she can also knock down 3-pointers. After recovering from
Our players
have grown a
lot this
offseason, and
we will need to
continue to do
that as we head
into the season.”
BRAD MATTHEWS
BRYANT LADY HORNETS COACH
LADY HORNETS continued on 6TT BRYANT HORNETS
STACI VANDAGRIFF/TRI-LAKES EDITION
Junior Mady Scires, left, dribbles the ball around junior Lexie Taylor during practice.
NOV. 8 ................................... (G) MAUMELLE NOV. 12 ..... (G) @LAKE HAMILTON TOURNAMENT DEC. 3 .............. @MORRILTON TOURNAMENT DEC. 11 ....................................... @BENTON DEC. 14 ............ (B) @CONWAY TOURNAMENT DEC. 27 ................... @BEEBE TOURNAMENT JAN. 4 .................. FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE* JAN. 8 ........................... (B) @LR CATHOLIC* JAN. 8 ................ (G) @LR MOUNT ST. MARY* JAN. 11 .................................. LR CENTRAL* JAN. 15 ............. @FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE* JAN. 18 ........................................... CABOT*
JAN. 22 .................... @NORTH LITTLE ROCK* JAN. 25 ........................................ CONWAY* FEB. 1 ............... @FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE* FEB. 5 ............................... (B) LR CATHOLIC* FEB. 5 ................... (G) LR MOUNT ST. MARY* FEB. 8 .................................. @LR CENTRAL* FEB. 12 ................ FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE* FEB. 15 ........................................ @CABOT* FEB. 19 ...................... NORTH LITTLE ROCK* FEB. 22 ..................................... @CONWAY*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES