Dawson nets 30, Hornets beat Benton at Rolla tourney

A tough few days at the US Bank/Rolla Holiday Tournament ended on a bright note for the Fulton.

Junior guard Ricky Dawson erupted for a game-high 30 points to power the Hornets to a 67-58 victory over the St. Joseph Benton Cardinals in the seventh-place game on Saturday afternoon. Dawson converted 11-of-13 free throw attempts and the Hornets shot 26-for-36 from the line as a team in ending their three-game losing streak.

Junior forward Austin Wilson tallied 21, senior guard Ricky Dawson added nine and junior forward Devin Gibson chipped in seven points as Fulton led 21-12 after one quarter and 34-24 at the break.

Fabian Smith led the Cardinals with 15 points while Macio Harris added 12.

"We had three of our guys gone so it's kind of difficult and under difficult conditions, we played well," Hornets head coach Ryan Shaw said. "Seven of our 13 guys went down so them being shorthanded and playing against really good competition, we're really happy to get a win."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.