The Bulldogs were tough as nails and defeated the Cougars 72-48.
“We played good defense, kept them below their season average of scoring, but we could not make shots, and we took a lot of tough shots,” said CBC head coach Larry Mendez.
“But our guys learned the tough way about how it is on the road in this region and how tough it is to get a win on the road.”
Brandon Golden led the Cougar scoring in the Navarro clash with 20 points. La’Darrien Williams was also in double figures with 12.
On Saturday, back in the Cougars’ home den, the CBC men edged another ranked squad, the Kilgore Rangers.
“It was an entertaining game for those who came out to watch. Kilgore was ranked in the national standings coming into Saturday’s game,” Mendez said.
The Cougars were shooting better than in their game with Navarro, and their defense was just as stout. The CBC men held a slim advantage, 28-25, at the end of the first 20 minutes. The pace was back and forth with the teams trading baskets throughout the second half.
“Kilgore had a four- point lead late in the game, but our guys played good defense down the stretch and got the defensive stops we needed and made the baskets we had to have to win the game,” Mendez said.
The Cougars upset the Rangers 71-68.
It took some late game heroics from forward Derrick Little to finish the Kilgore squad. With just 40 seconds left to play and the game tied, the Cougars gained possession. Little hit the go-ahead three-pointer with only 18 ticks left on the clock. The Rangers did get off a possible tying three, but it clanked off the iron. The rebound came off to the Cougars and the Rangers were forced to foul. CBC made good at the charity stripe to preserve the 71-68 victory as Kilgore managed one last goal, but it was too little too late.
The win improves the Cougar overall record to 8-2 on the season and they stand 4-1 in region play, tied for first.
Little led the Cougar scoring against Kilgore with 18 points. Two other Cougars made it into double figures as Williams (14 points) and Kristen Minor (10) helped the Cougar offense. Shane Minnick followed closely with nine markers, and Brandon Hairston hit for seven points in the win.
In other CBC news, guard Brandon Golden was voted as the Player of the Week for week three for Region XIV for his performances against Paris College and Bossier Parish College. Golden is the first CBC basketball player to garner the award.
The Cougars played Victoria College on Thursday night in Victoria before taking a break for the holidays. The team will return to action on Jan. 5 when they host Southwest Texas at Uvalde at 2 p.m.
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