The Copper Basin Cougars basketball team showed that they can play with anyone Saturday, November 21, as they faced off against the Gilmer County Bobcats.
The game was a back and forth defensive battle, but the Bobcats barely squeaked by with a 42-35 win.
Both teams locked up defensively in the first quarter as Copper Basin outscored the Bobcats 8-7. Timothy Jabaley came to play as he rattled in two, two-point baskets for four points.
Timothy Fair also scored four points on a two-point bucket and two free throws. At the end of the first quarter, the Cougars led 8-7 over Gilmer.
Both teams continued to grind defensively as the Bobcats outscored the Cougars 8-6 in the second quarter. Radford Cheek drained a three-pointer, followed by a hard fought two-point bucket and a free throw from Jabaley. At halftime the Bobcats held a slim 15-14 lead over the Cougars.
The Cougars came out in the third to notch 10 points as Logan Burkett heated up in the paint scoring four points on two two-point buckets. Cheek, Jabaley and Fair scored a two-point basket each to cap the third quarter scoring for the Cougars. Gilmer scored 11 points in the third to hold a 26-24 lead over the Cougars to start the fourth.
The fourth quarter saw the lead change back and forth a couple times for both teams, as the Cougars netted 11 total points in the quarter. Fair added five points to his total on a three ball and a two-point basket, while Cheek scored two, two-point buckets in the paint. Joe Boggs wrapped up the Cougar scoring with a two-point basket down low. Gilmer County was able to score 18 points in the fourth quarter to hold off the Cougars and win 42-35.