In each of their last two games the Booneville Bearcats have seen second quarter scoring droughts play a key role in losses.
Against Mansfield on Friday the Bearcats scored the first 6 points of the game and led 15-7 after a Nick Widener 3 seven minutes into the contest.
Reed Brackney scored 8 second quarter points and the lead was 26-21 with 2:21 left in the half but Mansfield closed the half with a 6-0 run and led by one, 27-26.
The Bearcats were within 32-30 when Dakota Fonseca scored with 6:03 left in the third quarter but Mansfield scored the next 8, and led by no less than 6 the rest of the way.
The difference was 43-37 with 6:24 to play after a basket by Tayden Washburn, who scored 12 to lead the Bearcats.
Lamar 64 Bearcats 37
On Tuesday the Bearcats got a huge first half from Brackney. The junior scored the first 9 Bearcat points and the Bearcats led 9-6.
When he added a pair of free throws with 1:59 left in the opening quarter it was 14-8.
Lamar scored the next 9 points and never trailed again, though a basket by Rylie Swint, on an assist from Brackney, would cut it to 17-16, a 3-point play by Brackney would tie it at 19-19, and another Brackney score made it 22-21 with 4:46 left in the half.
Lamar then scored 14 unanswered to close the half.
Hayden Daniel ended the drought with a 3 at the 7:40 mark of the third quarter and twice more in the quarter – baskets by Washburn and Brackney – it was again a 12-point deficit before Lamar began to pull away.
Brackney led the Bearcats with 15 points. Washburn added 7.
The next scheduled game is a matchup with Cedarville Friday night at Bearcat Gymnasium.
SECOND QUARTER SCORING DROUGHTS COST BEARCATS
