FERGUSON, JOHNSON FINISH OFF HORNETS, HOME CAREERS

With 1:22 to play Monday night C.J. Johnson and Raiden Ferguson reentered the game against Hackett. It wasn’t really necessary from a competition standpoint as the Bearcats had the game well in hand and would win 66-46.

But it was necessary to get the two seniors had been watching since Hackett, starting a four game week, had conceded with wholesale substitutions with 3:50 to play in a 16-point game, on the floor together for a final time.

Johnson brought the ball up the floor after a made free throw by the Hornets and passed to Ferguson (shown against Paris) in the frontcourt .Ferguson launched, and drained a 3 from the top of the key just nine seconds later to make it 66-45 and the seniors went back to the bench.

Hackett got another free throw before the end of the game and the Bearcats closed out the home season moving to 8-4 in Conference 3A=4 and 12-7 overall.

The 3 gave Ferguson 14 points on the night. Johnson scored eight.

Ferguson had opened the scoring with a 3 Hackett tied it with one of their own and later took a 10-9 lead with another 3 with 1:06 to play in the first quarter.

The Bearcats got a 3 from Jace Washburn to go back in front and a bucket from Ferguson and led 14-10 after one quarter.

The Bearcats were also in the midst of a 10-0 run that would include another basket by Ferguson and one by Johnson.

The Bearcats were go up by as many as 13 on another 3 by Washburn, who led all players with 19 points, but the Hornets were able to climb within 31-26 with 2:00 left in the half.

Another Ferguson basket and one by Colter Fisher provided a 35-26 halftime cushion.

The sophomore duo of Washburn and Noah Harrel accounted for 19 third quarter points. Harrel hit three 3s and scored 11 of his 15 on the night in the quarter.

The lead grew to as many as 19 on Harrel’s third 3 but would be trimmed to 14 before the Bearcats led by 18 at the end of the quarter.

Hackett got no closer than 14 at 58-44 with 5:08 to go and it was 60-44 with 3:50 left when the benches were cleared.

The win, coupled with a Cedarville loss in Charleston means the Bearcats need to win either tonight at Danville or at Cossatot River on Friday to be the three seed in next week’s district tournament in Paris.