JV Cougars Fall Short of William and Reed, 26-35

The Cottage School JV Cougars played what was perhaps their best game of the season Tuesday against William & Reed, but ultimately fell short of victory. The Cougars jumped out to an early lead but were unable to hold on as the Warriors steadily came back for the win, 35-26.

The Cougars got off to a fast start on Tuesday, as their sharp shooting put the visiting Warriors in a 12-1 hole early on. Liam Walsh knocked down 3 3-pointers in the first quarter, and Elijah Joiner drove the ball hard to the basket for a layup. Matthew Placide was a rebounding machine in the paint and Grant Osgood, Ben Gardner, and Austin Schwartz moved the ball efficiently on offense.

In the second quarter, the Warriors got their offense going and started to mount their comeback. The Cougars were resilient, though, and continued to attack. Elijah Joiner chipped in another 2 layups. The Cougars also got great minutes and energy from their bench. Alex Yager, Javier Cremer, and Dustin Bartolome-Behrens played excellent help defense, with Dustin chipping in two points of his own as well. Nate Dunbar and Reese Silverman were as energetic as ever on defense, forcing the Warriors into turnovers. Andrew Marriott and Bryce Dickerson relentlessly pursued rebounds and loose balls. At halftime, the Cougars maintained a slim 16-14 advantage.

William & Reed took the game over in the second half. Their switch to a box and 1 defense left the Cougars flustered. A combination of Cougar turnovers, poor shot selection, and missed layups all contributed to the Warriors’ second half run. The Cougars’ slim halftime advantage quickly turned into a double digit deficit. The Cougars kept up their spirits and fought hard until the end. Liam Walsh added 2 more 3-pointers to lead the Cougars with 16 points, and Grant Osgood added a 3-pointer of his own. The game ended with a final score of 35-26.

The Cougars’ final game of the calendar year is Saturday vs Al Falah at 2 PM at The Cougar Center.