The Opp Bobcats outlasted the Red Level Tigers 40-39 last night in Opp.

 

It was a close and hard fought battle from the tip-off, and the Bobcats jumped out to a 12-10 lead after the first period. Lane Foster shot lights out, for the Bobcats, with 6 points in the first. Chavis Crittenden kept the Tigers close with big 3-pointer in the first.

 

Both offenses’ really found their grove in the second period. Raheem Bonam had the hot hand for the Bobcats, with 6 points in the period. Reggie Thompson and Tye Lindsey nailed 3-pointers to stretch the Bobcats’ lead to 7 at halftime. At halftime, the Bobcats held a 28-21 lead.

 

The Bobcats lead grew to 9 points following a superb defensive effort, in the third. The Tigers did all they could to get open looks, but the Bobcat defenders were having none of it. At the end of three, the Bobcats were up 36-27. Bonam added 4 more points, in the third, for the Bobcats.

 

The Tigers weren’t going away quietly though, and they turned the fourth period into a fight to finish. The Tiger really began clawing their way back in the game, when Dameyune Scott took the ball from a Bobcat ball handler, made a beautiful pass from his back to Crittenden, who finished it with a layup. A few minutes later, Crittenden would give the Tigers a 1-point lead, after converting two free throws. With 1:04 remaining in the game, Bonam knocked down one-of-two free throws, tying the game up 37-37.  The Bobcats’ Cale Pierce sank a dagger in Tigers’ comeback attempt, with a clutch 3-pointer with 36 seconds left on the clock. The scrappy Bobcats’ defense went to work, in the remaining seconds, and didn’t allow the Tigers to get off a clean shot. The Bobcats blocked three shots around the basket, in the final seconds of the game, to seal up a 40-39 victory.

 

Scott led the Tigers with 10 points, in the contest. Crittenden accounted for 9 points for the Tigers.

 

“They put in the effort tonight, but we have to figure out how to execute the offense to score points,” Tigers’ head coach Allen Catrett said. “At the end, they ran the same inbounds play three times in a row, and got the wining shot off of it. You would think after seeing it some much we would have been able to cover it. That isn’t why we lost though. We lost because we didn’t convert layups. The effort was there though, but we have to play smarter and score points.”

 

The Bobcats were led in scoring by Bonam with 11 points. Foster chipped in 10 points, of his own, for the Bobcats.

 

“The ball didn’t seem to go in our favor most of the night, and Red Level did a good job at moving the ball around,” Bobcats’ head coach Sterling Driver said. “They came back with pressure there at the end, but my kids found a way to pull out the win. We played with a lot of heart tonight, and it’s good to win a close one after coming up short the last few games.”