The 3-12 Durant Cougars hosted the 5-8 Riverview Sharks on Tuesday.
The Cougars won the tip-off and turned it over on the first possession of the game. The Sharks’ first shot was blocked, but they got the offensive rebound and put back. The Cougars turned it over again on the next possession, followed by an easy layup for the Sharks. The Cougars’ Alijah McFadden got to the free throw line and went 1-2. Then Banner Howton got the first field goal of the game for the Cougars with a layup, and Niko Sosa hit a midrange. The Sharks got back into the scoring with a midrange shot of their own. A timeout was called with 4:44 left. After the timeout, both teams turned it over. The Sharks’ defense was locking in with blocks, but the Cougars got to the free-throw line thanks to an and one from Jamarcus Randall. After a Wolves turnover, Sosa hit an and-one 3-pointer and converted the free throw. Randall had a dunk over 2 Sharks defenders. The quarter had a scoring drought at the end, but the Sharks hit a floater to end the first quarter with the Cougars leading 13-10.
The Sharks started the second quarter as they attacked the paint with a layup. Sosa got the Cougars on the board with a layup of his own. Two minutes went by with neither team scoring, but Howton ended the scoring drought with a fast break layup. The Sharks then answered back with a layup as both teams have found success in the paint. The Sharks got to the free throw line and went 1-2. Nathan Moore got a steal and then got a fast break layup. Randall had a nice cross and got an easy lay thanks to the dribble moves. The Sharks had a nice post move resulting in a basket, and a timeout was called with 1:56 left in the half, with the Cougars up 21-19. After the timeout, the Sharks’ big man got to the free throw line and went 1-2. Sosa had a nice floater for the Cougars with under a minute in the half. It was halftime with the Cougars leading 23-20.
The third started with the Cougars’ Nathan Moore getting a nice layup. Randall got an offensive rebound for the Cougars and went to the free throw line with the hustle. Randall went 1-2 from the line. Moore swatted multiple attempts by the Sharks on the next possession, and it was ultimately out of bounds off the Sharks. McFadden got a steal and got to the free throw line for the Cougars and went 2-2. With 2:25 left in the third quarter, the Sharks got their first basket of the quarter with a floater near the baseline. They kept it going with a 3-pointer. Randall had a nice chase down block for the Cougars on the following Sharks possession. Randall then stole it and had a fast break layup. The Sharks hit another 3-pointer to reduce the Cougars lead to 2. Moore got to the free throw line for the Cougars with an and one layup. Moore converted the free throw. The Cougars stole it, and Moore got another layup. The third quarter ended with the Cougars leading 35-28.
The Sharks got to the free throw line and went 1/2 from the line, but an offensive rebound allowed them to get a floater. McFadden got to the free throw line for the Cougars and went 2-2. The Sharks turned it over with a travel. Randall found Sosa wide open for a Cougars 3. A timeout was called with 6:36 left, and the Cougars were up by 9. The Sharks got a post move for a basket after the timeout. A timeout was called with 6:00 left in the game. An injury timeout was called after the Sharks’ basket with 5:15 left, and it was 40-35 Cougars. Moore got the offensive rebound after the timeout and got the putback. After the timeout, the Sharks hit a baseline 3 after a Cougars turnover. The Sharks got to the free throw line and went 0-2. The Sharks stole it and got a layup to make it a 2-point game. The Cougars turned it over again with three minutes left in the game. A Sharks 3 gave them their first lead of the second half. Randall got to the free throw line for the Cougars and went 2-2 for the Cougars’ lead. The Sharks quickly got a layup to regain the lead. A timeout was called with 1:46 left in the game, with the Sharks up 45-44. Both teams turned it over, and it was the Sharks ball with 1:07 left in the game. The Sharks got a throw in with 40.2 left, and a foul was called with 28.8 left in the game. The Sharks went 1-2 from the line. With 24 seconds left, it was a 2-point game. Moore was fouled with 14.3 left, and the Cougars got to inbound it, but a timeout was called with the Cougars down 2. Moore got an and one after the timeout and made the free throw for the lead with 12.4 left. The Cougars stole it and got the win. The final score was 47-46.
