Cougars go undefeated in AAC; top Titans 53-28
The Cottage School Cougars played host to the Tapestry Titans for their final AAC contest of the 2019-2020 regular season. With the same intensity and focus on defense they had in their huge win over MSA on Tuesday, the Cougars go on a 17-2 run in the second quarter to all but seal the Titans fate, with a 53-28 victory. The win gives Cottage an 8-0 AAC undefeated regular season. They become the third team in school history to achieve this honor. Not since the 2012 and 2013 teams, who earned back to back undefeated championship seasons, has a Cougar squad been so dominate.
In the game last night, both teams battled back and forth early testing the waters. Cottage held a slim 11-5 edge but Tapestry connected on two baskets to end the period in a close 13-8 contest.
The second stanza is where the Cougars open the gates to a fast and furious stampede. Their defense produced several Titan turnovers, and the points multiplied in a hurry. Cottage used this momentum to jump on Tapestry for a 30-10 halftime advantage.
The next two frames were better for the road team but the damage was too strong. With precise offensive execution, no matter what the Titans threw at the Cougars they patiently beat it. In the end TCS prevailed 53-28 and can be a part of school history finishing undefeated in the AAC at 8-0. It also put the team at 11-9 overall, now winning six games in a row. They seem to be peaking at the right time as the playoffs are a week away. Coach Briggs spoke after the game. “Wow! Suroy and I cannot be more proud of the group. These guys learned from all their mistakes throughout the season and appear to be a well-oiled machine right now. We will work on the key playoff components that all teams need to prepare for and are happy we still have two more games to test things out.”
The Cougars will play the Alumni this weekend during Homecoming 2020 before going on the road next Wednesday to take on a non-conference opponent, Al Falah, in their final contest of the regular season. The AAC playoffs begin on Monday, 2/10/20 at Atlanta Area School for the Deaf. The bracket has not been posted yet but Cottage will be the #1 seed.
Game Notes:
Tim Mattioli continues to play outstanding basketball in his final games of his career. The senior finished with 14 points. He also was very active on the defensive end of the floor.
Aidan Briggs had back to back 12 point nights over MSA and now Tapestry. He continues to prove that he is the most dominate paint player in the AAC.
Reese Bentley and Kyle Kimble also had nice games. Reese finished with 9 points and Kyle added 7.
DJ Donaldson and Alex Hogg battled the Titan interior defense well, grabbing several rebounds and added a basket each.