Cougars lose one, win two in league tournament
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
The Cougars finished in third place among six schools which competed in the Eisenhower League tournament this past week at Centre High School.
The Cougars entered the tournament 2-0 in the league, not counting the loss to Hope in the pre-season tournament at Herington. Seeded fourth, they were 3-5 overall.
In the first game of the tournament Jan. 15, they defeated fifth-seeded Hope for the second time this year in a close match-up, winning 36-35.
The contest wasn't as easy as the previous week, when Centre handed the Lions a humiliating 77-45 defeat.
The Cougars trailed 10-6 in a slow first quarter and trailed by one at halftime, 16-15, after a three-point bucket by Zach Slayden.
Scores by Ben Krause, James Weber, and Bryant Brunner kept Centre within one during the third quarter. Weber blocked several Hope shots and scored a layup to give Centre a one-point lead, 25-24.
Weber continued to block shots in the fourth quarter, keeping the Cougars within striking distance. They maintained a slim lead for most of the quarter but were tied twice.
Free throws by Zach Slayden gave Centre a 36-32 lead with 40 seconds remaining. A three-pointer by Hope in the final seconds of the game narrowed the gap to one, but victory remained with the Cougars.
Weber was Centre's leading scorer with 14 points.
Centre vs. Wakefield
Centre faced undefeated Wakefield Friday in their second game of the tournament and were defeated, 72-57.
Slayden made a two-pointer and three-pointer in the opening minutes of the game, to give Centre a 5-4 lead. But that lead quickly evaporated under strong shooting from the floor and at the free-throw line by the Bombers. The team trailed by five points at the end of the first quarter.
They were outscored 22-7 in the second quarter. Weber and Trevor Troutt proved ineffective at the post, and outside shots failed to fall, resulting in a 40-20 lead by Wakefield at halftime.
The Cougars got within 12 in the third quarter on good shooting by Slayden, Weber, Troutt, Bryant Brunner, and Tanner Brunner. But Wakefield pulled away again to lead 55-36 at the end of the quarter.
The Bombers continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, but freshmen Brian Burhoop and T. Brunner both contributed points.
After a final basket by Burhoop, the team walked away with a 15-point loss.
Slayden led scoring with 13 points, followed by Krause with 12.
Centre vs. White City
The Cougars faced the White City Huskies Saturday afternoon in a contest for third place and won, 60-56.
The Huskies piled up fouls early in the game, allowing the Cougars to go to the free-throw line often, where they did well.
Troutt was strong at the post and Weber took at least three charges during the game, to keep the Cougars competitive.
They led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter and increased their lead to seven points, 30-23, by halftime.
White City came out more aggressively in the second half, stealing the ball, tying the game several times, and briefly taking a two-point lead. The score stood at 43-43 at the end of the quarter.
The two teams continued to battle in the fourth quarter. A layup by Troutt gave Centre a one-point lead but a free throw by Wakefield tied the game at 48-all.
Slayden and Brunner then nailed two consecutive three-pointers and Weber made two free throws to catapult the Cougars to a six-point lead, 56-50.
When 12 seconds were remaining in the game, the Huskies hit a three, bringing them within two, 58-56.
The ensuing quick foul sent Slayden to the line, where he made two free throws to give Centre a four-point win and third place in the tournament.
Trout scored 18 points to lead the Cougars. Others who scored in double digits were Brunner 13, Slayden 12, and Weber 11.
Wakefield defeated Solomon for the championship, and Hope defeated Elyria for fifth place.
