Cougars lose home game to Lord Botetourt

By Rodney Young

Patriot Publishing

When you don’t play two halves of basketball you are often going to lose.  That was the case for the Pulaski County Cougars Friday night as they lost to the visiting Lord Botetourt Cavaliers, 75-58.

The second half saw the Cavaliers get layup after layup. They backdoored the Cougars time after time.

Lord Botetourt’s Blake Lovern scored a game-high 30 points. Nineteen of those came in the second half. Braydon Whorley scored 14 with 11 of those scored in the second half.

“I called time outs and told the guys you’re getting backdoored and Lord Botetourt kept on getting them,” said Cougar head coach Anthony Akers. “This game, unlike our other games, we lost due to the lack of defense in the second half.”

The game was tight the first quarter with the Cavaliers up, 19-15. They then led 34-29 going into intermission. The Cavaliers got at least 80 percent  of their second half field goals by going back door on the Cougars due to their lack of defense.

Pulaski County was led in scoring by junior Jalere Harlow’s 19 points with 13 of those coming in the first half. Justus Hash finished with 13, with eight of those coming in the third quarter. Tootie O”Dell finished with nine points and Silas Sweet came off the bench to chip in with eight. The Cougars (0-4) got outscored 41 to 29 after intermission.

Lord Botetourt won their first game of the young season to improve to 1-3.

The Cougar junior varsity won their game, 34-29 as they improved to 3-1. They would outscore the Cavaliers 14-4 in the fourth quarter. Caleb Cregger led the young Cougars with 14 points and Boone Blevins hit two threes for six points.

PC – 15   14   10   19 – 58

LB –   19   15   16  25 – 75

3 PT. Goals – PC – 7 (Harlow 3, Hash 3, O’Dell), LB – 7 (Whorley 2, Gray 2. Lovern, Kish, Hayes)

Total FG’s – PC – 23, LB – 27

FT’s – PC – 5-8, LB – 14-16

Fouls – PC – 19, LB – 8

Fouled Out – None

Technicals – None