Hornets sting Wampus Cats at the end

It was a playoff atmosphere for two playoff-bound teams five days before the Class 6A playoffs are scheduled to begin. In the final game of the regular season for both teams, the Bryant Hornets got a tie-breaking layup by senior guard Treylon Payne with 1.2 seconds left in regulation for a 49-47 victory over the Conway Wampus Cats at Hornet Gymnasium in Bryant on Friday night. Conway Coach Brian "Salty" Longing spoke before either team had left the court and said it was the kind of game both teams have come to expect. "It had a state tournament feel to it," Longing said. "We play each other last every year, and it always feels like a state tournament game. Two good teams going head-to-head. We just came up on the short end of it tonight." Eight seconds before Payne's game-winner, Conway senior guard Caleb London drove the baseline for a layup to tie the score at 47-47. Bryant (16-11, 8-6 6A-Central) and Conway 18-8, 8-6) had struggled for points throughout the second half, but Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said he turned to Payne, Bryant's leading scorer, for the final shot. Abrahamson laughed at the ease of his choice. "That was good coaching," he said. Payne's winning layup split Conway defenders in a crowd. "It's about who made plays," Longing said. "We made one with about 10 seconds left, and they made one with about one second left, and that got us." Three consecutive turnovers by Bryant late in the first quarter helped give Conway the game's first significant advantage. The first led to a three-point shot by London that gave Conway an 11-7 lead with 2:02 left in the first quarter. The next two led to fast-break layups by junior guard Bryce Bohanan and a 15-7 Conway lead. Three-pointers by Bryant senior guard A.J. Pickens with 48 seconds left in the first quarter and Conway senior guard Trey Tull at the buzzer left Conway with an 18-10 lead to start the second quarter. Bryant was within 20-18 after Payne's three-pointer with 5:21 left in the quarter, but missed shots stymied both teams through halftime. A layup by Payne tied the score at 22-22 with just under four minutes left, but rebound layups on consecutive possessions gave Conway a 26-22 lead 2:06 left in the first half. Another three-pointer by Payne completed the first-half scoring with 1:42 left and put Conway within 26-25. "It was like a battle because it was a battle," Abrahamson said. "They're a tough team, but I'm proud of my team for sticking it out." Payne led all scorers with 22 points. London scored 19 to lead Conway.

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HORNETS STING WAMPUS CATS AT THE END

PETE PERKINS

Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette | 2/29/2020

PHOTO CREDIT: Conway High School Athletics