Held to 15 points in the first two quarters, Bryant shed the shackles in the second half Friday to take a 54-49 victory over Little Rock Central at Oliver B. Elders Fieldhouse.

The teams combined for 41 points in the fourth quarter alone, but they scored only 32 in the first half with the Tigers (7-9, 0-3 6A-Central) holding a 17-15 edge over the Hornets (10-6, 2-1) at halftime.

"We wanted to pick up the pace in the second half, because the first half was so slow," Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said. "We prefer a faster pace of offense, and that eventually paid off for us in the second half.

"Every team in this conference is tough, and they all have their strengths. That is a real good club, and they are going to find their stride."

Foul trouble plagued Bryant in the first quarter when the Hornets scored only five points but were called for six fouls. The Hornets scored their fourth and fifth points with 5:46 left in the opening quarter.

Little Rock Central was called for only one foul in the quarter and built a 10-5 advantage after one quarter.