Cougars squeak by Goessel, 65-61
Staff writer
A game that looked to be a sure Centre victory turned into a nail-biter late in the fourth quarter Friday at Goessel.
After an opening 2-2 tie, Goessel trailed the rest of the way, with double-digit deficits much of the time.
However, the Bluebirds made a comeback halfway through the fourth quarter and came within 1 point, 59-58, with less than a minute remaining.
Free throws by Cole Srajer and Cody Svoboda gave Centre a 7-point lead, but a last second 3-pointer by Goessel resulted in a 4-point victory.
“This was a much needed win for our team,” coach Richard Idleman said. “They know how to make things interesting. They truly are ‘The Cardiac Kids.’”
Srajer scored 25 points, including four 3-pointers and 5 free throws. He also had 3 steals, 2 assists, and 1 rebound.
Cody Svoboda had a “dominating” game, according to Idleman, with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Dylan Deines had 13 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and blocked 3 shots in the paint.
The Cougars finished 6-1 in the league and 10-4 overall.
They played Elyria on Tuesday, and lost 40-35.
Girls
The Lady Cougars were no match for the state-ranked Lady Bluebirds. They were defeated 57-32.
Kate Basore made two baskets and Kelsey Hett made two free throws in the first quarter, but Centre trailed 15-6. The 9-point spread remained the same at halftime but it quickly widened to 18 points by the end of the third quarter.
The Lady Cougars continued to struggle in the fourth quarter and were outscored 13-6 to lose by 25 points.
“We out-rebounded the bigger Bluebirds 26-25, but they shot 50 percent from the floor and forced us into 27 turnovers with their continual three-quarters court pressure and length,” coach Alan Stahlecker said.
Basore scored a team-high 13 points and 6 rebounds. Summer Espinoza had 6 rebounds and scored 4 points, and Shelby Pankratz scored 9 points.
They played at Elyria Christian on Tuesday, and lost 38-25.