BEARCATS NAIL DOWN THREE SEED WIN WIN AT COSSATOT

When Colter Fisher hit two free throws just 25 seconds into to the third quarter at Cossatot River Friday night the Booneville Bearcats led by 20.

Cossatot cut that to seven by the 1:34 mark of the third quarter, then to five with 1:13 to play.

Both times it was a Bearcat 3 that stemmed the tide and the Bearcats went on to a 67-59 win over the Eagles in the regular season finale.

The Bearcats hit 10 times from three-point land.

The win moves the Bearcats to 13-8 overall and 9-5 in Conference 3A-4 play and the three seed in the district tournament this week in Paris. The Bearcats will play at 8:30 Tuesday night against the winner of today’s game between Danville and Hackett.

After Fisher’s free throws with 7:35 left in the third quarter it was 42-22.

Cossatot cut it to 14 before a Jace Washburn basket, then to nine before Fisher scored again and it was 46-32.

Fisher hit one of two free throws with 1:45 left in the quarter and the lead was 47-37 but an Eagle 3 cut the lead to seven.

Raiden Ferguson answered with his fourth 3 of the night to push it back to 10 at 50-40, which is where it stood through three quarters.

With 4:24 left Ferguson hit his sixth 3 of the night — accounting for all of his 18 points — and the Bearcats led 62-46 and it was again a 16-point cushion, 64-48, when Washburn scored the final of his 21 points with 3:51 left.

But Cossatot scored the next 11 points and it was a two possession game with 73 seconds to go.

On the next possession Noah Harrel hit from 3 and it was 67-59.

After an Eagle miss it took four fouls to get the Bearcats to the free throw line but by then only 5.4 seconds remained.

Fisher started the scoring with a 3 just 28 seconds into the game and although Cossatot would lead momentarily, the Bearcats would build a 17-9 lead by the end of the quarter.

Harrel had the lone two point basket of the quarter and was one of five to score from beyond the arc along with Fisher, C.J. Johnson, Ferguson, and Dakota Mattson.

The second quarter was the Washburn show. The sophomore scored the Bearcats first nine of the quarter and would score 15 of the 23 in the quarter.

Washburn led all players with 21 points and he had seven rebounds.