Cougars net key wins over BIC, Riverside

The Cougars added to their momentum Friday night in Rector, coming away with a 38-37 win over Buffalo Island Central for the homecoming victory.

Sophomore Brandon Steven had a huge night for the Cougars. Stevens made a potentially game-saving block in the paint an instant before the final buzzer sounded, keeping the one-point margin of victory secure.

"That was a huge play," Rector coach Matt Mills said. "That's the difference in the game. If he doesn't make that play, there's a very good chance we don't win the game. It couldn't have come at a better time."

The Cougars held a 38-36 lead in the final two minutes when they used the clock to their advantage, slowing the game down to a single possession. This strategy forced BIC into committing four fouls just to put the hosts in the bonus. The iron was unkind to Rector from the free throw down the stretch, though, as the team missed all six of their opportunities from the stripe in the final 54 seconds.

BIC managed a free throw to cut the Cougar advantage to one, but Stevens came through on defense to deny the go-ahead opportunity.

The two teams battled back-and-forth through much of the night.

After trading buckets to start the game, the Cougars finished the first quarter with a 6-0 run which moved them ahead 14-8 heading into the second frame. Kirk Horton sank a pull-up jumper in the lane, following an offensive board and dish from Clinton Haley, while Tyler Kirklin and Zach Burleson sank a pair of free throws each during the run.

But BIC responded with a run of their own in the second quarter, scoring eight straight in the frame to tie the game at 21-21 at intermission.

Rector led 31-28 going into the fourth. Stevens scored eight of the Cougars' 10 points in the frame, connecting on two treys and sinking a pair from the stripe. Horton scored a layup on a fast break to round out the team's points in the third.

Stevens had a big night for Rector overall, scoring a game-high 17 points and blocking three shots. Also scoring for the Cougars were Kirklin 8, Burleson 7 and Horton 6.

Ben Cole led BIC with 14 points. Daniel Davis added 11 for the visitors.

The win came at a good time for Rector, as the team was battling for position in next week's 2A-3 district tournament slated to begin Monday in Rector. The win moved the Cougars to 10-12 overall and 7-7 in conference.

"That was a really big win," Mills said. "We've been playing hard the past few weeks and that's put us in better shape for the district tournament. We feel like we have a pretty good shot at winning some games in district and earning a trip to the regional tournament."

Mills noted the effort of his team in battling their way to victory.

"This wasn't our best game, but we kept after them on defense and made plays when we had to. We went out there and worked extremely hard and got the win."

Juniors Win

The Junior Cougars came away with a 44-31 win in their meeting with BIC.

After a highly-contested start, Rector was able to pull ahead in the third, leading 29-23, before taking over in the fourth.

The Junior Cougars started the fourth with a flurry, opening with a 10-2 run.

Mitchell Weber led the way, netting 15 points in the win. Alec Scott also had a strong effort, finishing with 11 points. Also scoring for Rector were Daniel White 8, Reed Weber 6 and Dillon Shelton 4.

The Junior Cougars were slated to take part in the district tournament at Marked Tree beginning Monday, but so far those games have been shut down due to the weather conditions. Any rescheduling was not known as the Democrat went to press Tuesday.

Riverside Win

The Cougars came away with a 58-48 win over Riverside Tuesday night in Rector.

The conference victory helped pave the way for the Cougars in earning the fifth seed in next week's district tournament.

Rector surged to a 17-4 advantage after the first quarter and never looked back, leading 32-21 at intermission and 44-30 through the third.

Three Cougars scored in double figures. Burleson led the way with 19 points. Kirklin was right behind with 18. Horton added 10 in the win. Stevens and Haley notched seven and four each.

Jake Love led Riverside with 13 in the loss.

The Cougars were scheduled to host Ridgefield Christian in senior A and B action on Tuesday, but that game was cancelled due to weather and its status remained unknown as of press time.

Rector is the host site of the 2A-3 District Tournament. The Cougars are set to face Marked Tree at 5:30 Monday.