BENTON — Josh Bowling took a hard direct blow to the face on the first day of December, leaving the 6-4 junior bruised, bloodied and out of action for two weeks.

During Benton’s first four games this season - all victories - Bowling averaged 23 points a game, including a 34-point, 11-rebound effort against Wynne on Nov. 30.

Bowling was apparently on his way to topping his previous night’s effort when he got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“I came inside in the lane to help defensively,” Bowling said. “I was straight up and could have taken a charge.The dude shot the ball. He missed it but his elbow came and caught me right across the nose. It started bleeding. I just walked off the court and they started shoving stuff up my nose.”

Until that third-quarter play that prematurely ended his night, Bowling had scored 24 points.

“It looked bad when it happened,” Benton Coach Chris Nail said. “And when he had a MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] done, it showed he had little shards in there, so the doctors had to go in and correct it. ... [The elbow] wasn’t intentional. It was just bad luck. He was playing great.”

The injury apparently has not slowed him down. In his first game back after being cleared by his doctor and while wearing a protective mask, Bowling scored 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a loss at Springdale.

This time last season, Bowling was a bit of an unknown for the Panthers. A transfer from Rochester Hills, Mich., - a suburb of Detroit - Bowling was not heavily involved with Benton’s basketball program until after the school’s 2011 football season had ended.

“He averaged 13 points a game for us last year, but ... he got very little work in with us during the summer and then he played football his sophomore year,” Nail said. “We didn’t even see the kid until November. But the longer the season went on, the more comfortable he got with his teammates and the program. He scored 25 points for us during our state tournament game last year, so we knew he was going to be awfully good.”

Bowling has enjoyed his time in Saline County.

“It’s different, but I like the Southern hospitality,” Bowling said. “It’s a little warmer here. I’m sure they have a foot of snow up there by now while it’s just now starting to get cold here. But I really like the program, our team, Benton. ... There is one thing: Benton needs more restaurants.”

While Bowling would like to find more places to eat in his new hometown, the Panthers have been able to feast on the majority of their opponents. Benton is 8-1 and off to its best start since Nail took over the program six years ago.

“The team’s done great,” Bowling said. “Even without me, we’ve averaged 60 to 70 points a game. We’ve had even scoring all-around.That’s going to boost our confidence. We’re a deep team. We’re good this year.”

“One of the reasons he’s played so well this year is because we have good players around him,” Nail said. “Opponents can’t just focus on him.”

With Bowling having to watch a few games, Benton’s other players filled the void. Senior guard Rickey Gipson has been steady, getting 10 points and eight rebounds. Nail said senior Quinn Allen has been an effective starter while senior point guard Bryan Torres has a 3-to-1 assists-to-turnover ratio.Seniors Graham Gardner and Zack Stuckey and junior Blake Bowlin also have aided the Panthers’ efforts this season.

“What has made this year fun is that these kids just want to win,” Nail said. “They’re not really worried about who starts, who gets touches or shots. It’s just all about winning. If you’re the head coach, that’s fun because that doesn’t happen every year.”

Sports, Pages 21 on 12/18/2012