A Tale of Two Halves: Maumelle’s JV Sparks Late, but Har-Ber Controls Day 1 in NWA

Day 1 of the NWA Tour for the Maumelle Hornets

If there’s one thing about Maumelle basketball, it’s that the Hornets refuse to tap out, no matter the scoreboard, no matter the lineup. Night one of their NWA tour was proof. It wasn’t the result they wanted, but it was a night that revealed a whole lot about the depth, grit, and future of this young squad.

First Half: A Tough Start

The opening half was all Har-Ber. The Wildcats controlled the glass, out-rebounding Maumelle 19–14 and doing most of their damage inside the paint. The Hornets struggled to move the ball, finishing with just two assists while Har-Ber recorded eight.

Maumelle also settled for the long ball early, attempting 16 three-pointers but only knocking down two. And the second quarter? A scoring drought so heavy it weighed down the entire first half. Their only points came from a buzzer-beating backboard three by Caleb Horton.

By midway through the quarter, Head Coach made the call to lean on the JV unit, and the momentum subtly shifted, not enough to cut into the deficit, but enough to plant the seeds of what was coming.

First Half Leading Scorers:

• Har-Ber: Bari Washington (8pts), Brenner Boren (8pts)

• Maumelle: Kam Alexander (6pts)

  
  

Halftime Score: Har-Ber 31, Maumelle 13

Second Half: The JV Takes Over

The second half was the JV show, full stop.

Maumelle’s younger group played nearly the entirety of the third and fourth quarters, out-working, out-hustling, and out-scoring anything the Hornets put together in the first 16 minutes. They scored 39 of Maumelle’s 44 second-half points.

But credit to Har-Ber, they answered every run. The Wildcats kept the gap steady with 48 second-half points, 25 rebounds, and 15 assists. And Ryan Spencer? He absolutely took over the third quarter with 13 points, barely missing a shot.

Still… the moment of the night belonged to Maumelle's Kam “KP” Pratt.

After scoring 25 earlier in the JV game, the sophomore erupted for 22 in the varsity second half alone, five threes in the fourth quarter, and single-handedly injected life into the Hornets’ offense. It wasn’t enough to steal the game back, but it was more than enough to introduce everyone in the gym who KP is.

But as impressive as Pratt’s heat check was, the most explosive performance of the night belonged to Har-Ber’s Bari Washington, who turned in a dominant, all-around showing. Bari’s double-double, 20 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, was the kind of full-control performance that has become common for him, yet still absolutely worth highlighting. He set the tone early and never really let Maumelle breathe.

Other Maumelle JV standouts:

• Ma’lik Perry: 2pts, 6rebs, 5asst, 1stl

• Caleb Horton: 5pts, 6rebs, 2asst

Final Leading Scorers:

• Har-Ber: Bari Washington – 20pts, 12rebs, 7asst, 2stls

• Maumelle: Kam Pratt – 22pts, 2rebs, 1stl

  
  

Final Score: Har-Ber 79, Maumelle 57

Night one didn’t end in a win, but the message is clear, the Hornets are deeper than most people think. Their JV group battled for every inch and showed flashes of what this program is building toward. And if KP’s second-half explosion is any indication, the future is bright.

Maumelle rolls into Bentonville next. And you already know, I’ll be right behind them for day two.

KFletch 🖤