Cougars push Lee Rebels to OT
The loss gives the Cougars an overall record of 2-15 with a little easier portion of the schedule yet to come according to coach Bucky Hartman.
“We were outnumbered and undersized, but we actually played a little better without having a post. I think it makes us a little quicker defensively and I can put more shooters outside,” said CBC head coach Hartman.
“The only aspect we give up is rebounding but Schann Bratton and Larson Snyder both stepped it up and did what they could on the boards.”
The taller Lee College Rebels worked inside most of the night and the Cougars had to rely on their outside shooting off a spread offense. The contest was close in the early going and the CBC men took a 9-5 lead with about seven minutes gone in the first half. The Rebels then went on an 8-1 run to pull ahead 13-10 over the Cougars with 11:06 left in the first half. The CBC club was using a lot of the 35-second clock on every trip as their fewer numbers dictated a slower paced tilt.
The game remained tight and it was 39-39 at the end of the half. The two teams went back and forth in the second half with neither team gaining more than a four-point lead at any one time until late in the second half.
Lee led by six, 73-67, with less than a minute left to play. A three-pointer from Snyder cut the lead to three at 73-70 and the Rebels were in control but having trouble. A couple of Lee free throws gave them a little more room at 75-70. Snyder made good on two free throws to pull the Cougars closer at 75-72. Lee got one of two free throws to fall to push its lead out to four points at 76-72 with just 20.3 seconds left on the clock. CBC got another three-pointer off the fingertips of Reggie DeVaughn, this time to get within one point at 76-75 but there were just six seconds left to play.
The Cougars were forced to foul and two free throws later were trailing 78-75. The Cougars got the ball just over the half court line with the clock ticking off the final seconds. Alex Horne threw up a long prayer, it was answered and the game went into overtime all tied at 78.
The overtime proved to be too much for the tired Cougars. Their shooting touch left them and the Lee Rebels scored inside and took the OT period 11-5 over the Cougars to make the final a 89-83 triumph for the visitors.
“I really think what kept us in the game was our free throw shooting. We were 13-16 (81 percent), the best we’ve shot from the charity stripe all year,” said Hartman.
“I think in overtime we ran out of gas. I had three guys on the floor with four fouls so we gave up some baskets defensively and our shooting was flat. But, the guys gave a valiant effort. I am much more optimistic now than I was when I found out we lost our big guys to academic issues.”
The Cougars were led by DeVaughn with 24 points on the night. O. Faniyi had 12 points. Damargua Hawkins ended the evening with 15 points.
Snyder had 13 points and seven rebounds. Bratton finished the game with 14 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.
CBC played Weatherford on Monday afternoon before traveling to Cedar Valley College for a Thursday evening tilt.
Post a Comment