After getting off to a great 7-2 start with their two losses coming when they were out two starters, the Columbia Academy Cougars have hit a rough patch, losing four of their last five games.
Offense was near impossible to come by Saturday at home against Bowling Green as the Cougars (8-6, 3-3) didn’t have any scorer in double figures for the first time this season in a 60-30 loss.
“We could not find the basket. Our perimeter game just wasn’t there. I couldn’t find anybody that could score. We just had a terrible game,” head coach Dale Watts said. “Bowling Green was really good, but I was really disappointed in my guys. Our effort level was not what it should have been.”
Caleb King was CA’s top scorer with eight points, while Hays Carley had six points and Cody Fortenberry, who was averaging 20.6 points per game going into the contest, was held to just four points.
Watts said that with the Cougars’ latest skid, losing three of their last four games to Lamar Christian, Wayne Academy and Bowling Green, he decided to shake up his starting lineup Monday night at Oak Forest Academy. The move paid off for the offense as the Cougars nearly came away with a tough road victory against a very talented squad, but Oak Forest held on late for a 42-38 win over CA.
“I inserted Jeffrey Pennington back in there, and he played some significant minutes. He hit several threes that kind of got us back going. The guys were better (Monday) night,” Watts said. “Oak Forest is a very good team that had some big boys. They had a 6-foot-5 guy and a 6-foot-6 guy, and we did a good job against them.”
With under a minute to play and down three points, Carley stripped Oak Forest’s point guard and got a layup to cut it to 39-38. On the next possession, Carley stole the ball again with 17 seconds left and got fouled, giving the Cougars the opportunity to take the lead. However, he missed both shots at the charity stripe, keeping the game at 39-38.
Watts said the Cougars then had a miscommunication defensively, leading to an easy basket for Oak Forest that made it 41-38. CA then missed the game-tying 3-pointer and ultimately fell 42-38.
Despite the loss, Watts said he was much more pleased with CA’s effort and its perimeter shooting.
“I certainly hope this is a sign of things to come. I’m counting on it to be that way,” he said. “We have struggled the last two weeks offensively. Early in the year we were living of our full-court pressure and transition (offense). As the season rolls along, people get better. Our half-court offense has got to get better. I’m hoping that (Monday) night is the direction we’re going to improve on coming back after Christmas.”
Carley led the CA offense with 16 points and four assists, while Pennington had 11 points and made three 3-pointers.
The Cougars will return to the court after their Christmas break to take on PCS at home Jan. 2. They will begin the second leg of their district slate Jan. 5 at Lamar Christian before traveling to face Amite School Center Jan. 7.
