Cougars fall to Radford in double OT

cougar headBy Rodney Young

Patriot Publishing

   RADFORD –  The so-called “Battle of The Bridge” is what it’s called in football. This basketball game turned into a battle, period. The Cougars battled, clawed and played extremely hard but came up short in a double-overtime thriller to Radford 61-56.

    Down 14  points in the third quarter (21-35) the Cougars fought their way back to tie the game at 43 all to send the game into overtime. 

    Senior Lane Nester hit two field goals to tie the game and then scored all six of their points in the first overtime that sent the game into a second extra period. He finished the game with a game-high 22 points.  He had just two points at intermission.

   The second overtime saw Tootie O’Dell hit a jumper to tie it at 51. Then they missed two jumpers and Radford (1-1) hit a layup by Max Kanipe and a huge three by Luke Woodard that put Pulaski Co. (2-6) behind 56-51. Nester then hit a three  anf a Radford turnover the Cougars were right back in business with 1: 13 remaining.

    The Cougars would then miss twice  on their next possession and Radford’s Koreyon Ferguson was fouled. He hit one of two freebies. Sophomore Justus Hash hit a jumper with 20 seconds to go to pull them to within one, 57-56. 

   The Bobcats then tried to freeze the ball, and  Pulaski Co. would foul Ferguson again. This time he hit both shots. Pulaski Co. would then miss a wide open jumper and would foul Sincere Taylor with 10 seconds to go. He calmly sank both to cap the game for Radford.

   “ I’m proud of the guys for fighting back,” said Cougar head coach Anthony Akers. “ We were down 14-15 points there in the third quarter and we didn’t lay down. They battled and played hard. This turned into a barn burner, hate that we came out on the wrong end.”

      The third quarter hurt the Cougars as they scored just seven points to the Bobcats 15. Radford would go on a 15-2 run in the quarter before the Cougars would score the last five points to end the quarter. They would then outscore the Bobcats 17-8 in the fourth. The score at intermission was 20-19 Radford.  The game was back and forth and remained close except for that 15-2 Bobcat run. 

   Radford got 18 points apiece from Luke Woodard and Daniel Dehart-Lewis. Mekih Marin chipped in with 12.  

    Pulaski Co. got 22 points from Nester and 11 from junior Tootie O’Dell. Justus Hash scored nine and Marcus Reed had eight , both coming off the bench.  Jeremiah Turner contributed six points and had three steals.

Pulaski Co. 9 – 10 – 7 – 17 – 6 – 7= 56

Radford  11  –  9 – 15 – 8 – 6 – 12 = 61

Pul. Co. – Nester 22, Reed 8. Hash 9, O’Dell 11, Turner 6, Radford – Dehart-Lewis 18, Woodard 18, Martin 12, Kanipe 3, Ferguson 6, Taylor 4

3-Pt. Goals – Pul. Co. 4 ( Nester 2, O’Dell, Hash), Radford 5 ( Dehart-Lewis 2, Martin 2, Woodard)

Total FGs – Pul. Co. 22, Radford 22

FTs – Pul. Co. – 8-11, Radford – 12 -19

Fouled Out- Pul. Co. – Reed

Technicals – None

JV – Pulaski Co. 44 Radford 38- Pul. Co. – Sweet 13, Blevins 7, Merchant 7, Radford – Williams 11,  Farmer 10