BEARCATS GO COLD IN LOSS AT COSSATOT; JUNIOR HIGH BEARCATS ROLL

An extended scoring drought during which three players fouled out spelled disaster for the Bearcats in a 47-40 road loss at Cossatot River Tuesday night.

With 2:06 to play in the third quarter the Bearcats went up 33-27 on a Macolen Tillery (shown) basket. Matching the largest lead of the night for either team it was the third time the Bearcats (3-5, 1-2 Conference 3A-4) were up by a half dozen.

Cossatot River scored the next nine points to take a 36-33 lead with 4:04 to play.

Jace Washburn ended the run with a pair of free throws with 3:55 to go but he would foul out with 3:36 to go.

Noah Harrel had a pair of free throws with 2:09 to play to cut a six point Eagle lead, their largest to that point, to 41-37 with 2:09 remaining but he too would foul out with 1:42 to play.

Aiden Carter had also been whistled for his fifth foul just 10 seconds earlier.

Dakota Mattson, who had scored the first Bearcat points of the night hit a 3 with 47 seconds left to make it a 44-40 game but the Eagles got a free throw and a crushing basket on one of several offensive rebounds with 15 second to go to make it 47-40.

The first quarter had seen the Bearcats and Eagles swap the lead seven times with the Bearcats going up 14-12 on a Carter basket with :06 to go in the quarter.

A free throw by Washburn and a basket by Wesley Fonseca, whose eight points would lead the Bearcats made it 17-12 with 6:48 to play in the half and a conventional three-point play by Harrel had the Bearcats in front 22-16 2:04 before the break.

Cossatot cut the lead to one by halftime but a 3 from Fonseca and a basket by Washburn had the lead back to six with 4:51 left in the third quarter.

The Bearcats are now off until Thursday, December 27, when they will face Greenwood in the opening round of the Bill Frye Invitational in Mansfield. Tipoff is set for 12:20.

Junior High Bearcats 46 Cossatot 13

By halftime nine different Bearcats (7-2, 3-0 Conference 3A-4) had scored and it was 26-6.

After a tie at 2-2 the Bearcats scored the next 14 points with Sadler Miller, Chase Posey, Cooper Smithson, Toby Weaver, Blaze Falcon and Rogan Haller all contributing.

By the time it ended there were 14 to score with Drake Brackney and Callen Montalvo’s six each being the most.

The junior high Bearcats are now off until January 6 when they will face Charleston at Bearcat Gymnasium.