Cougars nipped by Lions
Two bad passes in final seconds seal their fate
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
The Centre High School Cougars lost an exciting contest with Hope Friday in the second game of the pre-season tournament at Herington.
They started out slowly and trailed 8-17 at the end of the first quarter. Things weren't looking good.
But then they began a comeback. They became more aggressive at both ends of the court and completed five three-point shots in the second quarter, including three by Zach Slayden and one each by Bryant Brunner and Ben Krause.
James Weber posted several layups and a free throw, and by halftime the Cougars had narrowed the gap to three points.
Early in the third quarter, Weber took charges under the basket on two consecutive Hope possessions, which slowed down the Lions' offense. A layup and free throw by Trevor Troutt gave Centre a one-point lead, 36-35.
On the sidelines, the Centre student fan base, without the help of cheerleaders, put out a steady chorus of support, urging on the team.
The lead changed sides several times, and the two teams were tied, 42-42, at the end of the quarter.
The Cougars took a five-point lead early in the fourth quarter on a three-point shot by Krause and a layup by Weber. They maintained a lead for most of the quarter, but once again were tied up, 51-51, with two and a half minutes remaining in the game.
The two teams still were tied with 28 seconds to go. Centre had the ball. As the Cougars worked for a final shot, hoping to draw a foul, Krause threw an intercepted pass.
As the Hope player started down the court, he stumbled over the foot of Zach Slayden, and a foul was called with seven seconds remaining.
Hope completed one of two free throws to lead by one point, 54-53.
Centre still had a chance to go to the other end and score. But then, when Krause threw the ball in on a long pass across the court, it went out of bounds, and it went back to the Lions.
A quick foul and another free throw later, it was all over. The Cougars had lost a hard-fought contest by a disappointing two points, 53-55.
It was a difficult loss to swallow, but the Cougars have more chances this season to avenge their loss as they face the Lions twice during the regular season.
