Cougars fall in Roanoke to Cave Spring

By RODNEY YOUNG

Patriot Publishing

ROANOKE – It’s becoming a broken record for the Pulaski County Cougars! Play a close game, but lose in the last couple minutes.

Such was Wednesday night’s game against Cave Spring as they lost to the Knights on the road, 66-61.

Down 62-61 with 18 seconds to go, the Cougars shot a two-footer. The ball hit off the glass onto the rim and rolled off. They then had to foul, sending Cave Spring to the line. The Knights would hit both to go up three.

Down 64-61 the teams would trade fouls and free throws before the Knights’ Ethan Jones knocked down two shots at the charity stripe to put the game away with four seconds left and Pulaski County trailing by the final, 66-61.

Cave Spring got 20 points from Ashton Cornett and 19 from Shaun Turner.

The Cougars were led in scoring by Justus Hash with 18 points. Jalere Harlow had 16 and senior guard Tootie O’Dell chipped in with 12.

Pulaski County (4-12, 1-6) started the game red hot hitting seven threes in the first quarter.

An interesting thing happened in that quarter when O’Dell hit a three from the top of the key. He then raised his right arm with three fingers up to show he hit a three.

Then a whistle was blown by an official. The Cougars thought Cave Spring had called a timeout, but the official came over to the scorer’s table and called a technical on O’Dell. Cougar head coach Anthony Akers asked the official the reason the technical and he was told it was for taunting!

Strange thing, however, a couple plays later a Cave Spring player hit a three and started playing his air guitar, but nothing was called. That’s how playing on the road in the River Ridge District works.

Pulaski County has now been called for two technicals in back-to-back road games. One for a player talking to his teammates in their huddle and now for hitting a three.

In a very somber Cougar locker room, Akers said, “I’m very proud of the guys. This was a very hard fought high school basketball game. I feel for my guys.”

The Cougars had a couple of moments that were the difference in the game. The last minute and half of the first half and first two minutes to start the third quarter they went scoreless. Then in the last two and half minutes of the fourth quarter of the game they went scoreless. It’s been those kinds of stretches in games – going scoreless and not taking care of the ball – that have been very, very costly this season.

The two teams combined to hit 20 threes, with the Cougars hitting 11.

PC – 23  17  10  11- 61

CS – 16  17  17  16-66

Scoring – PC – Hash 18, Harlow 16, O’Dell 12, Hollins 7, O’Neal 6, Lawrence 2, Cave- Turner 19, A. Cornett 20, Ibrahim 9, Jones 9, C. Cornett 5, Mannon 4

3-Pt. Goals – PC – 11 (Hash 6, Hollins 2, O’Dell 2, Harlow), Cave – 9 (A. Cornett 4, Ibrahim 3, C. Cornett, Jones)

Total FG’s – PC – 23, CS- 23

FT”s- PC – 4-8, CS- 11-14

Fouls – PC – 13, CS – 12

Fouled Out- None

Technicals – PC – O’Dell