Cougar men survive in overtime; beat Canadore
MEN'S BASKETBALL
SAULT COUGARS vs CANADORE PANTHERS
NORTH BAY – On a tough weekend for most Cougars Teams Men's basketball was a welcomed bright spot, shining brightly in their thrilling 66-65 OT win against the Canadore Panthers in North Bay. This marks the first regular season win for the Cougars since February 6, 2016, a span of 60 regular season games.
Coach Murray was pleased with the way his team played for the majority of the game. "We locked in on defense in the first half and built up a big lead that we almost let slip away." The Cougars had a 38-13 lead at half and saw their 20-point lead evaporate over the final 2 quarters but came up with a couple key stops and timely shots to pull through in OT. Although it was a total team effort rookie Ramkel Wal came up large for the Cougars when they needed him most pouring in a game high 32 points in 38 minutes. On the defensive end Kevon Clarke collected 15 rebounds while playing a team high 41 minutes while adding 9 points of his own. Jaylyne Moore-Tucker also stepped up off the bench to clean up the glass with 9 rebounds.
It's certainly a good start for the Cougars but coach Murray says this is just the beginning. "Canadore is a very good team with some exceptional athletes, so coming out with a win on the road bodes well for our young roster. We still have lots to work on, but this sets the tone for the direction that our program is looking to go."
Up Next: The Men's team is back in action next weekend on the road in Sarnia for a 2 game series against the Lambton Lions on Saturday October 26th @ 4:00pm and Sunday October 27th @ 1:00pm.