Run and Stun Cougars Sprint to 66-35 Victory Over Mill Springs
The Cottage Cougars triumphed in a frenetic battle against conference rival Mill Springs last night. The capacity crowd of onlookers at the Cougar Center were treated to a high energy game featuring some of the greatest performances in school history. Team Captains Alyssa Briggs and Finley Love had games that will be talked about years from now.
Alyssa was at her best last night. And her best is nothing short of spectacular. She became the second player in school history to record a triple-double (the first was Dinara Rothman almost 10 years ago). She tallied 32 points with a series of highlight reel worthy moves and awe-inspiring shots that sent the raucous crowd into a frenzy. She also grabbed 15 boards and had 11 steals. She was also nearly perfect from the line, knocking down 6 of 7 free throws. Expectations were high for Alyssa’s senior year, and she has exceeded them so far. According to Maxpreps.com she is the current 4th leading scorer in the state of Georgia, averaging 20.6 per game. She’s also grabbing 9.4 rebounds per game and grabbing 5.2 steals per game. Her current pace is a testament to the hard work and dedication she has put in over the course of her remarkable high school career.
Finley Love continues to be a source of inspiration and non-stop defensive energy to her teammates. Her relentless intensity in our new “Exorcist 3: Legion” pressure left everyone in the building breathless. She was the basketball equivalent of Schrödinger’s cat yesterday, making plays so quickly at both ends of the floor that it seems like she is in two places at once. Finley also had an incredible statistical night, scoring 18 points along with 10 rebounds, 7 steals and 6 assists. She was only 3 steals away from being the third Cougar to get a triple-double in school history. Finley keyed the best sequence of the game for Cottage, a four-minute run at the end of the second quarter that helped the Cougars to pull away. Cottage scored 26 points in the second quarter and raced out to a huge lead thanks to Finley’s complete control of the passing lanes and quick hands.
Gabby Presnall had the best game of her short Varsity career in the game. The 8th grade sensation made play after play on defense and scored repeatedly from everywhere on the floor. She finished with a career high of 12 points and 8 steals. Her defensive effort and stamina continue to improve from game-to-game. Her court vision showed marked improvement in the game, illustrated by a few perfect passes in transition that led to baskets. She took a huge charge in the 3rd quarter that helped the Cougars stay in control of the game.
In a game that saw everyone play an important role in forcing 30 steals, each member of the Cougar team stood out for their tenacity. Malia Richards scored 4 critical points and corralled 5 rebounds. Her defense in the second half was particularly impressive. Senior Kendall Betzer used her strength to help keep Mill Springs off the glass and grab 4 rebounds but boxing out so effectively that the team was able to pull down 41 total rebounds.
Eleanor Gaffneystone continued to make a case for “toughest player in the conference”, grabbing 4 steals and making a series of important hustle plays. Bonnie Bolton-Hogg was a menace on defense, wreaking havoc every second she was on the floor. She grabbed 3 steals along with 2 rebounds and an assist. She was actively involved on defense and consistently took away the ability for Mill Springs to get up and down the court effectively. Natalie Taylor was excellent as a rebounder as well but showed a developing talent for reading passing lanes. She jumped out from the post and snagged 3 steals in the game.
Your Cottage Cougars are back in action today on the road at 4:30 against Covenant Christian in an out of league matchup. Then, the Cougars will take a much-needed holiday break before getting back in action on November 29th at Cumberland Academy.