MBB: Bobcats stay perfect in 22-1A race
earlier season action. The Bobcats topped Timpson on Friday, 65-57.
(Photo by John Krueger)
TIMPSON, Tx -- Going into the 2011-12 basketball season, everyone knew that Tenaha would be the team to beat in District 22-1A D-I. What they didn't know was who would be in the running for the other playoff slots in the league.
Timpson and Shelbyville have strong basketball traditions, while Garrison and Beckville are known for being competitive in all sports. The 'wild card' seemed to be the Gary Bobcats. The only team in the district not playing football, the Bobcats took advantage of the extra time in the gym to get a leg up on their competition in preparation. That extended work has paid huge dividends, as the Bobcats have run their record to 13-9 on the year, but more importantly, they now sit at 3-0 in district play, tied for the league lead with the aforementioned Tenaha Tigers (10-3, 3-0 district).
The 'Cats got that third win Friday night on the road, here at the John Herbert Eakin Gymnasium, knocking off the hometown Bears, 65-57. The Bobcats continued to do what has worked for them all year: They protected the ball offensively, moved the ball around with crisp, accurate passing, took high percentage shots and they outshot their opponent from the free throw line.
And they played great defense - at least for one half.
The Bobcats used a crafty half-court press to force several turnovers and some poor shot selection from the Bears, then pushed the ball up the court aggressively to transition the takeaways and rebounds into quick points. This strategy allowed them to open up a 15-5 lead after the first period. They got a timely three-pointer from guard Matt Wood in the second quarter, then used the fast break to push the outscore the Bears 20-14 in to take a 35-19 halftime lead.
The Bears refused to go down without a fight, however, as they came out clawing in the third period, using their tenacious full-court press, to power a 10-0 run to start the period. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Bears had trimmed the lead to seven points at 42-35, and seemed to have momentum working in their direction.
That's when Stephen White and Josh Bowen seemed to take over the game. The pair combined for 11 fourth period points, including a three by Bowen, that stretched the lead back to 10 points. They used more good passing to break the Timpson press, and drew enough fouls to get three of the Bear starters in foul trouble. They sealed the win with 69% shooting from the free throw line, compared to 44% for Timpson.
Gary head coach Tony Wood liked what he saw.
"That's how we've won games all year," Wood stated. "We rarely have anybody score 20 or more. It's usually five or six kids getting around ten apiece. When they can't key on one player, it makes us hard to defense."
He also commented on the success on details, particularly free throws.
"We've averaged about 65% on free throws all year," the coach continued. "That helps you win tight games."
He was also impressed with the "never quit" attitude displayed by the Timpson squad.
"We knew they were going to make a run at us in the second half, and they really got after us in the third quarter, holding us to only seven points. I was relieved to get out of here with a win."
True to their coach's word, the Bobcats 'spread the wealth', with Bowen leading the way with 13 points. The sophomore guard also pulled down six defensive rebounds, while dishing out four assists. Senior guard Luke Thornton poured in 12 points, while notching four steals and four assists. White, Levi Cohorst and Connor Coligan added nine points each, while Matt Wood contributed seven.
For the Bears, Lorenzo Young and Terrance Brown tied to lead all scorers with 14 apiece. John Jacobs added 11 while pulling down nine rebounds and stealing the ball four times. Jaylin Rhodes added eight points, seven rebounds and six steals.
In other District 22-1A results from Friday, Tenaha burned Shelbyville, 96-38, and Garrison knocked off Beckville, 57-34.
The Bobcats will look to stay at the forefront of the district title chase Tuesday when they travel to Shelbyville (4-12, 1-2 district) to take on the Dragons. Timpson drops to 5-15 on the year, 1-2 in district play. The Bears will be at home once again to take on Attoyac River rival Garrison (2-5, 1-2 district). In the other league matchup, Tenaha will visit Beckville (1-14, 0-3 district).