BEARCATS PULL AWAY IN THIRD QUARTER IN ATKINS

A 10-0 run over the 3:39 of the third quarter staked the Bearcats to their then biggest lead of the night and paved the way to a 52-31 win in Atkins Thursday night.

The Bearcats (2-1) led Atkins by 10 late in the second quarter but by the 4:07 mark of the third quarter the Red Devils were within 27-23.

Cody Sum scored after a rebound with 3:26 left in the quarter and after an Aiden Carter basket, scored six straight, including baskets with assists by Noah Harrel and Wesley Fonseca and it was 37-23 in the final minute of the quarter.

That gave Sum 15 points on the night, a game-high total he would push to 20.

Atkins ended the run with a basket almost one minute into the final quarter but a 3 by Harrel, who finished with 13 points, pushed the lead to 15 with 6:34 to go.

With Sum scoring the next five points and a nifty layup by Harrel with was 47-30 with 1:48 remaining.

Colt Cobb hit a 3 and Fonseca had a pair of free throws giving all seven players in uniform points in the game.

Early on there were four lead changes, the last on a basket by Sum, on one of Carter’s four assists, and a Nate Smith (shown in a previous game) basket made it 10-7 through a quarter.

Atkins got within 10-9 but that would be as close as it would get in a turnover marred second quarter that saw the Bearcats stretch the lead to 22-12 on a Smith free throw.

Smith scored just five points but had 11 rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Girls

Atkins scored the final six points of the night to hand the Lady Bearcats a 42-40 loss.

Linley Garrett scored inside with 1:46 to go to give the Lady Bearcats (2-2) a 40-36 lead. Garrett, who had hit five 3s was inside because Tempi Terry had been whistled for her fifth foul on the offensive end with 3:33 to go.

It was the second charge in the second call against a Lady Bearcat. Lexi Franklin had picked up a foul on what looked like a basket to tie it at 25 and snap a 10-0 Atkins run in the third quarter.

The Lady Bearcats overcame that when Franklin got a pair of free throws, Terry another, Franklin scored to open the final quarter scoring, Ciara Smith got a free throw, and Franklin scored again to tie it at 31-31.

Garrett, who led all players with 17 points, hit her fourth 3 to tie it again at 34 and her fifth, after another Franklin free throw, made it 38-36 with 4:21 to go.

The Lady Bearcats had fallen behind 10-2 in the opening quarter but ran off 13 unanswered, going in front on a Baylee Parnell basket but ultimately settled for a 15-13 halftime lead.

Both the Bearcats and Lady Bearcats are idle until Tuesday, November 28 when they will travel to Mena on a night that will include a JV boys game as well.