Third Time Is Not The Charm For Cougars As Mountaineers Pick Up Seventh Win

The saying goes “the third time is the charm”.

However, for the Covington Cougars (1-6) varsity boys basketball team, that was not the case on Tuesday night.

For the third time this season, the Cougars lost to the Alleghany Mountaineers (7-2), this time at the Cougar Den, 62-48. The previous two games were played at Alleghany High School.

Much like the previous two games, the Cougars kept the game close and within in reach for majority of the game despite being down double digits for a good chunk of the second half.

The game was also determined my scoring runs and momentum game-changing plays.

After a quick start to the game, the Mountaineers, had a 6-2 lead after the first four minutes.

The Cougars then went on an 11-3 scoring run, to give them their first lead of the game on a Hayden Rodgers three-pointer.

On a Mountaineers miss, Purcel Turner, drove to the hoop while splitting between three defenders and made contact with a fourth defender all while making a tough layup with no call from the referee. The Cougars took a 13-9 lead.

Mountaineers senior, Baron Leitch, ended a 5-0 Cougars scoring run with under a minute left in the first quarter to cut the lead to 13-11.

With under 15 seconds left in the first quarter, Javier Yancey found an open Rodgers who cut to the basket and made a reverse layup to put the Cougars in front 15-11.

Despite the home court advantage in the Cougars Den with a packed house and a great start to the game, the tough-tested resilient Mountaineers, would not be phased by the home crowd as Leitch in the second quarter dropped 11 of his game-high 18 points which helped the Mountaineers take a 33-22 lead into the second half.

Leitch opened the second quarter with back to back baskets, including knocking down one of his four three-pointers (three in the second quarter alone). Leitch’s two baskets to open the second quarter, gave the Mountaineers an 18-15 lead.

Starring at a Mountaineers 7-0 scoring run and seeing their lead go away, Turner, not even phased drove to the basket and made a tough layup to end the Mountaineers scoring run.

Now trailing 20-17, Yancey, knocked down a three-pointer off of an inbounds pass which tied the game.

As quickly as Yancey tied the game, Davien Moore gave the lead right back to the Mountaineers at 23-20, as Moore knocked down an open three-pointer.

With just over two minutes left in the half, Leitch knocked down his second three-pointer of the quarter to give the Mountaineers a 26-22 lead.

Leitch then with under a minute left, knocked down his third three-pointer of the quarter to give the Mountaineers their first double digit lead of the game at 33-22.

The Mountaineers ended the second quarter on a 10-0 scoring run.

In the second quarter, the Mountaineers outscored the Cougars 20-7.

In the third quarter, Andrew Middleton opened the second half by being fouled while making a layup. Middleton was unsuccessful with the three-point play as he missed the free throw. Moore would follow the miss by making a layup and putting the team ahead 15 points at 37-22.

If you remember from the previous two times the schools met, the Mountaineers, would mount big scoring runs to take big double digit leads and it was happening again in the third quarter of the third meeting.

Despite being on the wrong side of a 14-0 scoring run, the Cougars, would not give up.

Thanks to a pair of made free throws from Yancey, it not only ended the Mountaineers lengthy scoring run, but also the Cougars scoring drought.

Following the made free throws from Yancey, Levi Dressler, knocked down back to back three-pointers to cut the lead to single digits at 37-30 which sent the Cougars Den to a roar.

With one of those momentum changers happening for the Cougars, the Mountaineers, much like in their previous meeting with the Cougars, would come up with one of their own momentum changers.

With a seven point lead, Dylan Gibson, ended the Cougars 8-0 scoring run by knocking down one of his three third quarter three-pointers which gave the Mountaineers a double digit lead right back at 40-30.

With just over two minutes left in the third quarter and following a Cougars miss, Gibson on an assist from Chris Harden, put the Mountaineers up 43-30 after knocking down his second three-pointer of the quarter as he made it with Yancey’s hand in his face.

Leading 43-33 with under a minute left in the third quarter, Justice Maloney came running to put a hand in the face of Gibson, Gibson from the corner of the three-point line next to the Mountaineers bench, he drained his third three-pointer of the quarter to put his team up 46-33.

These meetings have been all about a game of scoring runs. The Mountaineers closed out the third quarter on a 9-3 scoring run to retake a double digit lead.

In the fourth quarter, trailing 52-41, off of a Mountaineers miss, Turner, drove to the basket and was met with contact by Leitch, and made a his shot despite a blocking foul called on Leitch. The basket made by Turner, cut the lead to single digits which got the home fans of the Cougar Den back into it. Turner, would convert the three-point play to cut the lead down to eight points at 52-44. The contact foul charged to Leitch, could of easily also been an offensive foul on Turner. That’s how close of a play it was.

Trailing by nine points and getting possession of the ball with under three and a half minutes left, the Cougars on their inbounds pass, hit the side of the basket and the ball went into the hands of Harden, who easily made a wide open layup to put the Mountaineers back ahead by double digits at 55-44.

With under two minutes left in the game, Yancey, cut the deficit to single digits thanks to a pair of made free throws, but then with 1:33 left in the game, Leitch knocked down a clutch three-pointer to put the Mountaineers ahead for good at 58-46.

Leitch, led all scorers with a game-high 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. In the three games against the Cougars, Leitch, has an average of 19 points and just over six rebounds.

Yancey, who averaged 24 points and 11 1/2 rebounds in the Cougars first two meetings with the Mountaineers, was held to just 14 points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field. Yancey, also collected five rebounds to go with three assists, and three steals.

Turner, scored a team-high for the Cougars with 17 points, while also collecting a team-high seven rebounds.

The Cougars also grabbed quality production from Dressler, who dropped it eight points including a pair of three-pointers, and Brady Howard, who scored four points to go along with six rebounds.

The Mountaineers bench helped in a big way as they grabbed 29 of their 62 team points from their bench. Chris Harden and Gibson had 19 of those 29 bench points, while the team also grabbed contributions from Kole Caldwell and Xzavier Hayslett whom each had four points.

The Cougars only had five bench points, all coming from Rodgers.

It was raining three-pointers as both teams combined for a total of 11 three’s. The Mountaineers knocked down eight of those 11, with four coming in the second quarter alone.

Free throw shooting helped keep the Cougars in the game, as the team made 12 of their 14 attempts, while the Mountaineers shot under 50% as they were 6-for-13 as a team from the free throw line.

Up next for the Mountaineers is a district home game against the Radford Bobcats on Tuesday.

For the Cougars, who have now dropped six in a row following their season opening victory, will be on the road at Eastern Montgomery on Tuesday.

Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ttl
AHS 13 20 13 16 62
CHS 15 7 11 15 48

Mountaineers Statistics
Player Pts Reb Ast Stl
Via / 2 1 2
Leitch 18 7 3 2
Middleton 2 3 2 2
Moore 7 3 1 2
Lowman 6 2 1 1
Hayslett 4 1 1 1
Harden 8 4 4 1
Caldwell 4 1 / /
Gibson 11 / / /
Entsminger 2 / / /
Webb / 1 / /

Cougars Statistcs
Player Pts Reb Ast Stl
Yancey 14 5 3 3
Dressler 8 2 / /
Howard 4 6 / 1
Turner 17 6 2 1
Cook / 4 1 1
Rodgers 5 1 2 /
Maloney / 2 / /