JV Basketball falls to Brandon Hall Panthers

The Cottage School JV Basketball Cougars lost 44-33 yesterday afternoon at Brandon Hall. The game, which saw the two teams exchange leads throughout, was physical and intense right from the jump ball. The Cougars got off to a bit of a slow start, falling behind by a couple points early on. After regrouping and finding their offensive rhythm, the Cougars were right back in the game by the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was even. Both teams scored quick flurries of points to take the lead, only to give up consecutive baskets and the lead a minute later. Alex Hogg and Dalton Lantz controlled ball handling duties, with Kyle Kimble, DJ Donaldson, Seth Goldberg and Will Conroy providing rebounding support. Austin Schwartz, Ryan Tuckwood, and Ben Gardner played strong defense. Colton Parks and Toby Nwokedi came off the bench for crucial minutes, as did Alex Yager and Bryce Dickerson. At the half, it was still anyone’s game.

Brandon Hall started the third quarter strong, and the Cougars found themselves in another deficit. However, strong passing and mental toughness again got the Cougars back into the game. Conner Hogue scored a pair of transition layups in the quarter, and the Cougars led 29-28.

Unfortunately, the Cougar offense dried up at that point. The Panthers wore the Cougars down in the fourth quarter, and ultimately won the game 44-33. The game was much more competitive and intense than the final score suggests, and the Cougars once again impressed. The coaches are excited to get back to work after the weekend and prepare for William and Reed on Wednesday.