Cougars trounce Marked Tree in strong conference effort

There certainly wasn't any rust on the Cougars as they came back from the holiday break with a vengeance Friday night, routing Marked Tree 78-54 in a make-up game at Rector.

"We had a pretty nice effort all-around," Rector head coach Mark Manchester said. "We played really hard. You're always a little concerned coming back from a break, but I thought we did a good job of being prepared once we stepped on the court. It was a really good team effort."

There was certainly an emphasis on "team" in the win. Four Cougars reached double figures in the contest, as Rector was able to find scoring opportunities throughout the matchup. Senior Derek Wyss led the way, scoring 19 points and ripping down eight rebounds. Jackie Graham notched 14 points and three steals. Blake McCarroll had 13 points in the blowout. Justin Duke finished with 12 points and four steals, as the four Cougar high scorers outpaced the entire Marked Tree squad.

"When you have four guys score in double figures, it's usually a good sign," Manchester said. "We're a much better basketball team when we've got guys shooting like they did Friday night. It forces the other team to actively defend the entire floor and gives you more opportunities to get to the basket."

Rector jumped out to a nice 10 point lead after the first quarter, 21-11, but completely took the game over in the second quarter. The Cougars outpaced Marked Tree 22-7 in the frame, building a 43-18 halftime advantage.

Though the performance was certainly convincing, Manchester has no plans to let up on his squad.

"We're close to being pretty good. We've got to keep focusing in and making big plays in big games. This is the toughest conference, top to bottom, in the state. You've got to play well every night out. We've got to keep our focus and keep getting after other teams. We can't take any nights off."

Also scoring for Rector were Garrett Evers eight, Drew Boyd four, Coty Banning three, Daniel Hester three and Blake Evers two.

Gavin Thompson led Marked Tree with 18 points. Joseph Andrews and Tyrone Doggett added 17 and 11 points, respectively.

Rector also claimed the junior boys game, coming away with the 42-33 victory.

Tyler Kirklin led the Junior Cougars with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Cody Hager also reached double figures, netting 13 in the win. Daniel Blackshare and Kirk Horton notched four points each, while Dustin Sparks and Brandon Stevens both had two.

The Cougars were in action at Maynard Tuesday night. Rector will visit conference foe Riverside Friday night beginning at 6 p.m.