JOHNSON THEFT SEALS BEARCAT WIN

C.J. Johnson had five steals Tuesday night against Cossatot River. None were bigger than the last one.

With the Bearcats holding a 41-40 edge, the Eagles had the ball out of bounds near midcourt and had only 4.1 seconds to try to win it. They would not get a shot because Johnson took the ball away from a player in the paint.

The win, which moves the Bearcats to 11-7 overall and 5-2 in Conference 3A-4 play, came after the Eagles had erased a 13-point deficit over a span of 6:18.

Raiden Ferguson hit a 3 with 1:54 left in the third quarter giving him nine points in the game and making it 33-20.

Cossatot scored the next six points to get within seven before Evan Escobedo (shown) scored inside just 1.4 seconds before the quarter ended.

The Bearcats then went scoreless for over four minutes while the Eagles were climbing to within 35-34.

A jumper by Johnson made it a three point game but an Eagle 3 just 16 seconds later would tie the game at 37-37 with 3:36 left.

Johnson fed Escobedo for a go ahead basket with 2:56 to play and the Bearcats started working clock forcing the Eagles to send them to the free throw line.

It would work once as a one-and-one miss gave the Eagles the ball back, but with 50.2 seconds remaining Colter fisher hit both ends of a one-and-one for what would be the winning points.

The Bearcats missed on a chance to stretch the lead on another foul with 13.7 ticks left setting up the final possession.

The Bearcats had free throw problems from the outset, missing four before the Eagles scored the first points of the night.

Cossatot eventually led 8-5 before an 11-0 run that included an old fashioned three from Mason Goers, who would lead the Bearcats with 11 points.

The lead would reach nine before Cossatot got it back to 21-18 at the half.

The Bearcats started the second half on a 9-0 run prior to the 3 by Ferguson that had made it 33-20.

The Bearcats will next face Paris, Thursday night in the finale of a four game set at Bearcat Gymnasium. The game was postponed on January 14.