Cougars and 'Hounds battle in classic rivalry matchup

Clinton Haley flips in two points during Thursday's win over Marmaduke [Click to enlarge]

Another page was written in the Cougar-Greyhound basketball rivalry Thursday night in Rector. The evening, which featured junior and senior high boys and girls games, looked to belong to the visitors from Marmaduke, as the red and white warriors claimed the first three games in the set, coming away with victories in the junior girls, junior boys and senior girls contests.

Rector was able to turn things around a bit in the evening's final game, coming away with a 48-39 win in senior boys action.

The two teams were right with each other in the early going, as nearly every basket by one squad was answered by the other.

The Cougars were able to build a 16-11 advantage toward the end of the first frame, as Tyler Kirklin connected on back-to-back buckets in the paint. The lead grew at the start of the second quarter, when Rector scored on a fast break by Clinton Haley, an offensive rebound and putback by Kirklin and a three-pointer from Brandon Stevens.

The 'Hounds came right back, though, as a pair of Tyler Nailing baskets sandwiched a putback from Tyler Sanders, bringing the guests to within single digits, 23-17.

The first half concluded with Rector leading 28-20.

The Cougars built up their advantage in the third, outscoring Marmaduke 13-7 in the frame. Rector began the period with a 7-0 run, thanks to a three from senior guard Zach Burleson, a drive and free throw from junior point guard Kirk Horton and a free throw from Burleson which moved the home team ahead 35-20. The two squads traded buckets for the remainder of the third.

With the scoreboard in their favor, Rector slowed things down in the fourth. The Cougars managed all their points in the frame from the free throw line, connecting on seven of 10 from the stripe. Marmaduke managed six unanswered points in the game's final 36 seconds, but was unable to overcome the earlier damage.

Burleson finished with a game-high 18 points for the Cougars. Kirklin joined him in double figures, notching 14 in the win. Also scoring for Rector were Horton 9, Stevens 5 and Haley 2.

Sanders paced the 'Hounds on the night, finishing with 13 points. Also scoring for Marmaduke were Colton Hale 7, Presson 6, Nailing 5, Morgan Hawley 4, Matteo Rosin 2 and Jacob Nolen 2.

The win was a critical one for the Cougars, as it moved them closer to a coveted spot in conference 2A-3.

"That's a huge win for us," Rector coach Matt Mills said. "I thought it was the best we played all-around all year long. We're one win away. If we can win one of our last two conference games, we'll get either the fourth or fifth spot in the conference. That's where we want to be."

Rector is currently in fifth, but a win by five points or more against Tuesday night's opponent, Riverside, who currently owns the tiebreaker with a four-point win over the Cougars, would move them into fourth.

Mills said his team did a good job of making baskets when they needed to, something the squad has struggled with at times.

"We're finally figuring out what we need to do to score. We were consistent when we took shots, which kept them from focusing on our scorers too much and that opened the game up for us."

Mills commended the hard work by both teams in the rivalry game.

"Marmaduke's always ready to play. Coach Richey does a good job of having his teams ready when they step on the court. I don't think we could've played any harder. You could tell we were focused from the tip-off. Our guys absolutely refused to lose."

Junior High Game

The Junior Cougars were downed in their meeting with Marmaduke, falling to the Junior 'Hounds, 50-34.

Marmaduke used a strong start to build an early advantage, outscoring Rector 18-7 in the opening frame. Kasey Reagans scored six in the first for the visitors, while Denver Knight and G.W. Brumley had four each in the pivotal period.

The momentum stayed with the Junior 'Hounds, who led 29-14 at intermission and 36-22 going into the fourth quarter.

Marmaduke appeared to be quicker to the ball on the night, coming up with several steals to hinder the Rector offense.

Mitchell Weber led the Junior Cougars with 11 points in the loss. Also scoring for Rector were Daniel White 8, Dillon Shelton 6, Alec Scott 5, Reed Weber 2 and Tyler Carter 2.

Knight paced Marmaduke with 15 points. Reagans and Chris Jones both scored in double figures for the guests, notching 12 and 11, respectively. Brumley and Will Winberry rounded out the Junior 'Hounds' scoring with eight and four, respectively.

Turrell Loss

The Cougars were downed last Tuesday, falling to host Turrell, 67-53.

Stevens led Rector with 18 points. Burleson and Kirklin also reached double figures, netting 14 and 10, respectively. Horton and Haley rounded out the scoring with six and five points, respectively.

Juniors Win

The Junior Cougars picked up a 46-35 win in their meeting with Turrell.

Rector outscored their hosts 13-6 in the final frame, en route to securing the double-digit win. The game was tied 11-11 after the first frame, with the young Cougars holding four point leads after the second and third periods: 28-24 and 33-29.

Mitchell Weber led the way, scoring 18 points. Shelton was right behind, netting 15 in the win. Also scoring for Rector were Scott 8, Adam Dinkins 3 and Carter 2.

The Cougars were slated to host Riverside Tuesday night in a pivotal conference showdown which also served as Senior Night. Rector is set to face BIC for Homecoming beginning at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Both boys and girls senior and junior high teams will take the court on the evening. The Cougars are set to host Ridgefield Christian beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday in senior A and B action.