Editors Note: This story has been updated to correct that Cowan played Tri-Central, not Tri-Country Central.
“Most of the time, we don't think offense will be a huge problem,” said Aaron Groves, head coach of Cowan High School Boy's Basketball.
Against Tri-Central, he was not wrong.
The Blackhawks (2-1, 0-0 ME) and the Trojans (0-2, 0-0 HH) finished the first quarter with a score of 20-27 in favor of the Trojans.
The second quarter was not much different with both teams scoring 17 points a piece. Groves talked about the shooting performances from the two schools.
“I thought both teams were going to reach 100 [points],” he said. “They shot lights out and we shot pretty decent in the first half.”
But after halftime, the Blackhawks stepped on the gas pedal and did not look back. They scored 29 points in the fourth quarter, 15 more points than the Trojans. Junior guard Timmy Watson was instrumental in the comeback.
“We talked at halftime about playing defense,” he said. “We all got into each other about it. So we just started with good defense and getting opportunities on offense.”
The defensive effort of the Blackhawks continued in the fourth. Tri-Central had the lowest-scoring quarter of the game with 13 points, which trailed Cowans' 18. That gave Cowan the victory with a score of 84-71.
One of the main defensive factors for Cowan was junior forward Cole Duncan. The 6-foot-9 big man had multiple blocks and was an obstacle for the visiting Trojans. Duncan had a little motivation for this game.
“I fouled out both of the first two games,” he said. “And in this game, I was a little timid to start off and tried not to foul. But as it went on, I felt like I was getting the gist of what the refs were calling and what they weren't. So I was just going for the ball every time I saw them go up with it and just tried to stop them.”
Duncan also credited the turnout that the Blackhawks received.
“It's obviously one of the best crowds in the town and if not the best,” he said. “So we just got to make sure you know, we keep our pace, keep our rhythm and obviously they're gonna be up there helping us.”
The team was led by Watson with 18 points and both Duncan and junior guard Mason Kidd had 16 points. Duncan also had eight blocks and 13 rebounds.
Cowan will look to win back-to-back home games when they face Shenandoah Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Zach Carter with comments at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ZachCarter85.
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