Competition is heating up down the stretch for the Columbia Academy Lady Cougars, who are three regular-season games away from beginning postseason play. Senior Peyton McCain stepped up in a huge way in Friday's district home game against Silliman Institute, racking up a staggering 29 points and 20 rebounds to lead the Lady Cougars in a 46-33 victory.
The Lady Cougars (18-8, 2-2) entered Friday's contest with momentum on their side after a 59-27 victory over East Marion in Jan. 17's Dr. King's Dream Classic, and they kept the momentum rolling with yet another tremendous performance in front of their home crowd. The Lady Cougars shot 54% from the field as a team and combined for 43 rebounds, which resulted in even more offense as they slowly pulled away for another big district win.
Nearly half of those rebounds were credited to McCain, who delivered one of the best performances of her phenomenal senior campaign. McCain dominated in the paint, making 12 of 16 shot attempts while tacking on four free throws, 20 rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Head coach Reid McCay said it's certainly no fluke that she's continuously put up big numbers throughout the season, confidently using her athleticism and understanding of the game to maximize her impact on both ends of the floor for the Lady Cougars.
"She is just really athletic and has a really good feel for the game," McCay said. "She knows when she can get around someone, she rebounds at her highest point and she tracks the ball down really well. She put the ball on the floor bringing it up the court a little more often (Friday) than she normally does, and I hope she continues to feel confident in doing that."
The Lady Cougars took a tough blow the following night, falling 43-37 in a non-district home game against Lamar Christian that McCay really felt his team should have won. CA held a six-point lead entering the fourth quarter of the contest but were unable to withstand a late comeback attempt by Lamar, resulting in their first loss since Jan. 6 against Bowling Green.
McCain led the team with 14 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's loss, and Lauren McDaniel chipped in nine points, six rebounds and a pair of steals.
The Lady Cougars currently sit at third place in the district standings, with two of their final four contests being against district opponents. They traveled to Franklinton on Tuesday for a shot to avenge their Jan. 6 loss to Bowling Green, but results were unavailable at press time.
