Basketball Game Preview: Benton Panthers vs. Bryant Hornets

Benton is 1-9 against Bryant since January of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Benton Panthers will take on the Bryant Hornets at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Benton's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.

Benton is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Central just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell to the Tigers 61-56. The game marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, Bryant is ranked highly in their home state and on Friday they took on another highly ranked team in the form of Vashon. Bryant was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 65-64 to Vashon. The Hornets' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.

Benton will need focus on slowing down Camarion Bead, one of several Bryant players who made an impact when they last played. He almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine assists. Another player making a difference was RJ Young, who went 7 of 12 en route to 15 points, to go along with eight rebounds and six assists.

Bryant's loss dropped their record down to 5-2. As for Benton, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Benton lost to Bryant at home by a decisive 65-50 margin when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Will Benton have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.