COMEBACK EFFORTS FALL SHORT FRIDAY

The final two minutes of first half Friday night saw Charleston turn a four point lead into one of 11 and although the Lady Bearcats whittled that to as few as three in the second half, they were unable to complete a comeback in a 51-47 loss.

The boys game saw the Bearcats also fall behind – the deficit was 19 with 5:26 to play in the third quarter, but also mount a comeback that fell short. The difference was twice at four before Charleston took a 51-45 win.

In the girls game the Lady Bearcats ripped off the first 10 points of the game getting production from all five starters.

In a 20 second span Charleston was within 10-6 on the strength of two 3 pointers and a third 3 would allow the Lady Tigers to draw even at 11.

The Lady Bearcats were up 15-11 after a Tempi Terry basket with 7:36 left in the first half but Angie Brown was whistled for a third foul with 6:56 to go in the half.

That would prove costly on a night when coach Katelyn Holub had only seven players in uniform.

Charleston scored the next nine points before a Ciara Smith basket with 2:43 left in the half and a free throw by Linley Garrett made it 22-18 with 2:02 remaining.

Before the break Charleston hit two more threes, giving them six in the half, and led 29-18.

The Lady Tigers made two shots in the third quarter but both were threes with the second making it 37-24.

The Lady Bearcats got a 3 from Linley Garrett and would score 10 straight through the 7:49 mark of the final quarter to cut it to 37-34.

Lexi Franklin accounted for three free throws during the run and was responsible for seven more points the rest of the way to finish with a team high 14 to go with 12 rebounds.

Charleston led by eight before Franklin got a pair of free throws, Brown threw in a couple of shots, and Terry got free throws to offset a couple more threes and cut it to 45-42 with 3:18 left.

An 11th 3 – Charleston hit 15 in the first meeting—doubled the lead to six with 2:46 left and the Lady Bearcats could get no closer than four the rest of the way.

Boys

As was the case in the girls game there was a crucial stretch late in the first half that gave Charleston a lead they would not relinquish.

Over the final 2:42 of the half Charleston scored 11 straight and led 30-20. That was the third double digit run of the half.

The Bearcats led 6-2 on 3s by Dax Goff and Dakota Mattson, with each dishing an assist to the other, but Charleston scored 10 straight and led 12-6 after a quarter.

Goff, who had a season high 22 on the night, started a 10-0 Bearcat run that included a Nate Smith 3, a Colter Fisher free throw, two free throws by Goff and a Noah Harrel basket and it was 16-12 with 5:44 to play in the first half.

After Charleston tied it at 16 Goff gave the Bearcats the lead but a Tiger 3 swing the lead back to Charleston before Goff again scored to make it 20-19.

The 11-0 run to close the half grew to one of 20-0 by the 5:26 mark of the third quarter and it was 39-20.

The Bearcats then ran off 13 straight of their own in just 3:25 to cut it to 39-33 o Mattson’s second 3.

Charleston got it back to nine in the final minute of the quarter but the Bearcats got two Goff free throws then a Cody Sum bucket to start the final quarter and it was 42-37.

A conventional 3 point play by Goff had the deficit at 44-40 with 6:46 to go and a Fisher basket with 1:59 left got it back to four again at 49-45 but the Bearcats could not close the gap.

Both teams will be in action three times this week, on successive nights, starting Wednesday at Hackett. Thursday’s games are at Cossatot River and Friday will be the homecoming games with Two Rivers.