Tayden Logsdon scored 18 points for the 7th-grade Cougars, but Butler County earned the win, 47-41.The middle school Cougars split a pair of games Monday night at Cougar Gym against the visiting Butler County Bears. The Bears took the opening, 7th-grade game 47-41, but the Cougar 8th-graders had three players with double-digit rebounds as they won 41-25.
EIGHTH-GRADE GAME
This game was never close after the Cougars scored the game’s first 12 points. They led 14-5 after the first period of play then increased their lead to 12 points, 23-11 at the half.
The visitors were able to cut into the lead in the third quarter, but the Cougars still led, 29-20 heading into the final period of play.
A three-pointer by Butler County’s Clay Vincent cut the lead to six points, 29-23 at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Cougars outscored their opponent 12-2 the rest of the period to win easily.
Nolan Hornbeck had 10 points to lead the Cougars in scoring and he made it a double-double night with 10 rebounds. Dillon Horn added nine points and he led the team on the boards with 13 rebounds.
Michael Wood started the game in place of the injured River Blanton, who is out temporarily with a wrist injury, and he had a terrific game for the Cougars, scoring six points and adding 10 rebounds.
Brayden Childress also scored six points, while Brayden Renfrow added five. Jerron Salazar scored three points and pulled down four boards in limited playing time, and Lucas Pierce added two points off the bench to complete the Cougar scoring.
SEVENTH-GRADE GAME
This was a game the young Cougars could have won, but they let it get away in the fourth quarter.
There were three lead changes near the start of the game, but the Cougars closed the period with a 7-2 run and led 14-8 heading into the second quarter. The Bears were able to cut a point off the lead in the second period, but the Cougars still led at the half 20-15.
Isaiah Poteet opened the third quarter with a put-back basket to give the Cougars a seven-point lead, 22-15, but the Bears then took control of the game with 12 unanswered points, helped along by seven Cougar turnovers. The Bears led by four, 31-27 heading into the final period of play.
Momentum began to swing the Cougars’ way at the start of the fourth quarter. They scored eight straight to grab a four-point advantage, 35-31 at the 4:10 mark, but the Bears responded with seven straight to lead 38-35 with 3:03 left to play.
An old-fashioned three-point play by Tayden Logsdon tied the score one last time, 38-38 with 2:48 left to play, but the Bears outscored the Cougars 8-3 the rest of the way to win pulling away.
Butler’s Ty Price led all scorers with 22 points. Logsdon led the Cougars with 18 points, while Poteet recorded a double-double off the bench with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Mason Cariel scored six points, while Landon Haycraft had four and Jeron VanMeter had two to complete the scoring.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
