Cougars Return to Action After Break With a Win Over Cumberland 49-22 and Loss To St. John Bosco Prep 51-17
After a restful Thanksgiving break, the Cougars returned to the hardwood splitting two games with a win at Cumberland Academy and a loss at home to the St. John Bosco Greywolves. In the first game, the Cougars stormed out of the gate with an 18-2 first quarter. The game began with a nifty tap from Natalie Taylor to Finley Love for a quick bucket.
Cottage never looked back from there, maintaining a healthy 20 point lead for most of the rest of the game thanks to timely scoring from Alyssa Briggs, who finished with 23 points and Gabby Pressnall, who collected 8 points. From there, the Cougars forced the Cumberland Cyclones into several turnovers and baskets. The Cyclones regained their footing in the third quarter to close in with an excellent stretch of basketball where they scored 14 points, including a buzzer beating half court shot. But, the Cougars were way too strong down the stretch and closed the game out on an 8-2 run en route to a 49-22 victory. This moved the Cougars into a tie for first place in the AAC conference at 3-0 over a tough, resilient Cumberland team who is now 2-3 in AAC play.
Finley Love’s relentless intensity in the Cumberland game really stood out. She finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists. Her defensive tenacity on the front side of the press continues to be a key component in forcing opposing teams into turnovers and rushed shots. She has developed a knack for both getting steals and turning those steals into baskets. Her nimble hands and cat-like reflexes continue to make it hard for the opposing team to get the ball up the court and get into any sort of consistent rhythm. She capped a run at the end of the second quarter with a picture perfect 19-foot jump shot from the corner showing an impressive ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
Friday featured a rematch between St. John Bosco Prep, who is currently 6-1 and the #26 ranked team in the state of Georgia. The Greywolves are a fantastic mixture of size and speed. They overwhelmed the Cougars early, jumping out to a sizable lead. However, the second half featured stronger play from Cottage. The Cougars slowly clawed back into the game by forcing the highly talented Greywolf team into a series of uncharacteristic mistakes. Malia Richards hit a huge jumper to start the fourth quarter and help bring the momentum back behind the Cougars, but the depth of St. John Bosco and remarkable rebounding made it impossible for Cottage to climb back into it.
Cottage gets back onto the floor again next week with a game against a tough Heritage Prep team on Thursday on the road at 5:30. Then, Friday features another conference game against Tapestry.
Game Notes:
Alyssa Briggs continued to make a case for conference player of the year with a dominant 23 point, 8 rebound, 4 steal game against Cumberland and followed that up with 15 points, 9 rebound and 4 steal showing against the highly skilled defense of St. John Bosco.
Gabby Pressnall lit up the scoreboard for 8 points in the Cumberland game while also grabbing 3 critical steals that led to baskets.
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As one of two seniors on the roster, Kendall Betzer showed toughness and resilience against a remarkably talented rebounding team for St. John Bosco Prep. She grabbed 4 rebounds and helped steady the young Cougar team against a truly talented foe.
Malia Richards nailed a clutch jumper against the Greywolves and did a nice job of grabbing rebounds in both games.
Eleanor Gaffneystone put in significant effort against both teams, showing a willingness to dive on the floor and fight for every loose ball.
Newcomer Sarah Tolchinsky made an immediate impact on both games, grabbing steals and rebounds each time she was out on the floor.
Bonnie Bolton-Hogg continues to be a force on defense, grabbing 4 steals against Cumberland.
Grace Workman’s speed was critical in stopping St. John Bosco fast breaks on several occasions. Her skill in getting back on defense made a big impact and taking away layups regularly forced teams into halfcourt sets instead of allowing easy baskets.
Natalie Taylor battled through a sore ankle, grabbing 3 rebounds against a titanically tall St. John Bosco team.