In the clutch, Bryant coach Mike Abrahamson has total confidence in Khalen Robinson.

Robinson, a sophomore guard, scored the final 9 Hornet points in the final 2:30 of the game to rally Bryant to a 68-64 7A-Central road win over Fort Smith Southside Tuesday night.

The win clinched a postseason berth for the Hornets (16-8, 7-4).

"I'm so proud of our guys for hanging in there and responding against a tough opponent in a tough environment," Abrahamson said. "Everybody accepted what we needed to do to come back and win. It was a team victory."

A Tyrese Solomon basket had given the Mavericks (12-13, 4-7) a 64-61 lead with 1:47 left. Robinson, though, drilled a 3-pointer from the wing with 1:17 left to tie the score.

Southside looked to hold for the final shot, but Robinson forced a steal with 45 second left, then scored on a drive to put Bryant up 66-64 with 27 seconds left.

Robinson clinched the win with two free throws with five seconds left.

"He is a winner. No, he's a champion," Abrahamson said. "Also give (Deron) Canada credit as well. Canada carried us at times and then Robinson took us home.

Canada scored 28 points to lead Bryant, followed by Robinson with 19.

Ike Moore's game-high 29 points paced Southside, including 13 in the opening period as the Mavs jumped out to a 25-15 lead after one quarter.

"We tried to prepare them for this. We told them (Southside) was going to come at us guns a-blazin'," Abrahamson said. "It is their homecoming in their gym and they felt they should have won at our place (last month). You try to prepare them for this and they still blitz us at the start."

When Moore got hit with his second foul, late in the first quarter, the Hornets began to chip away at the lead, getting to within 36-31 at half.

"The only thing that went well for us in the first half was that Moore got two quick fouls and had to come out. He is a phenomenal player," Abrahamson said. "We were able to gain some ground. In the second quarter, we were able to start scoring and get some stops on the defensive side."

Bryant got its first lead of the game on a Canada 3-pointer with 4:21 left in third quarter for a 40-39 lead. The Hornets would lead 51-45 early in fourth quarter before Southside went on a 12-3 run, capped by an Ollis Brewer basket, to retake the lead at 57-54 with 5:12 left.

Girls

BRYANT 43, FS SOUTHSIDE 42

The Lady Hornets (10-12, 5-6) clinched a postseason berth by holding off the Mavericks (3-18, 2-9) in the final seconds.

"Missing the state tournament last year was miserable," Bryant coach Brad Matthews said. "To know you are in with still games to play is a good feeling."

Bryant took at 43-37 lead with 2:49 left on a basket by Robin Gordon, but 3-pointer by Montana Smith and a layup by Mo Kleck cut the lead to 43-32 with :47 left.

The Lady Hornets missed two one-and-ones and Southside had a shot at the end but a 3-point shot rimmed off.

"We showed some inexperience trying to hang on at the end, but we found a way," Matthews said. "Southside is a hungry team and to win on the road is something to be proud of for our kids."

Tierra Trotter scored 11 to lead the Lady Hornets while Kelly Carson's game-high 14 points paced the Mavericks.
