Blackcats drop tourney opener to Raiders
The Blackcats Basketball Team opened the MAAA Tournament with a 74-41 loss to North County, Saturday, at Central High School.
The Cats will continue their conference tournament play in the consolation bracket. They face Kingston at 7 p.m., tonight, at Mineral Area College. A victory would place them in the consolation finals at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, at MAC.
In the loss to North County, the Cats got 22 points and five rebounds from Rylan Matthews. Brock O’Neal scored eight points, Taylor Hampton had six, Brennan White had three, and Ethan Rouse scored two.
Last week, the Cats lost a pair of regular season conference games.
Tuesday, Fredericktown lost 76-18 at Farmington. Matthews had ten points and six rebounds. Carter Hovis and Hampton each scored three, and Luke Myers had two points.
Friday, Fredericktown lost 61-29 at Arcadia Valley. Rouse led with eight points. Hampton had seven, Matthews and O’Neal had six, each, and White scored two. Matthews added nine rebounds.
“We played very well defensively and we are coming together as a team,” Coach Jason McMurry said. “The scoreboard does not tell the whole story. I am really proud of the boys in the way they act and their effort on the court. They continue to fight through adversity and are getting better, which is exciting for me to watch as their coach. The next week of basketball could be very exciting for us if we continue to play like we have been. Now we just have to work on scoring better and making our shots.”
