Cougars scalp Mohawks in return of rivalry game

The Cougars posted three wins over county rival Piggott in a series of games between the senior high, junior high and junior B teams which were only recently added to the schedule. The Cougars and their fans made a strong impression during their first official visit to the Mohawks home court since they completed their new gym in 2008.

In senior high action, the Cougars used a strong start to the second half to secure a 65-52 victory over their 3A opponent.

Rector started the third frame with a critical 11-0 run which opened up what had been a close contest. Back-to-back three-pointers by Zach Burleson and Brandon Stevens started the crucial series for the Cougars, which also featured a bucket down low from Tyler Kirklin, an offensive rebound and stickback by Stevens, and a free throw from Burleson to send Piggott reeling. When the second half got underway, Rector clung to a slight 29-27 advantage, but found themselves in control, 48-34, by the time the period ended.

During the run, Rector's hard-nosed man-to-man defense forced the Piggott offense to lose patience and put up a number of contested shots.

The Mohawks managed a small lead after the first, 17-16, but the Cougars never played like a team that felt threatened. The generations-old rivalry likely played a key role in attaining such a mindset for coach Matt Mills' squad.

"That's a game that the kids really wanted to win," Mills said. "They looked forward to it and were ready to go when it finally got here."

The two teams met in a scrimmage game over the summer in which Rector fell short.

"When they beat us this summer, it stuck in our craw," Mills said. "We felt like we were the better team and, even though it didn't count for anything, it left us feeling like we had something to prove."

The Cougar offense appeared to be at its sharpest on the night. Rector had four starters score in double figures in the impressive win.

Burleson and Kirklin led the way, notching 18 points each. Clinton Haley and Kirk Horton also played strong, netting 12 and 10, respectively. Stevens added seven to round out the scoring for the Cougars.

Piggott was led by 13 points each from Alek Samples and Hayden McMillon. Tanner Murray added 11 in the losing effort.

Mills is hoping this past weekend's games are a glimpse into the future. Prior to the start of the action, Mills and Piggott head coach Josh Robins agreed to make the Rector-Piggott game an annual event.

Mills also hopes the win serves as a momentum-builder for the Cougars, who are trying to lock up fourth place in 2A-3 to improve their seeding in district tournament set to begin Feb. 15 at Rector. Better seeding will bolster their odds of reaching next month's regional tournament.

"We've got four conference games left," Mills said. "We need to win two of those to finish fourth in the conference. This win couldn't have come at a better time for us."

Rector was slated to visit Turrell Tuesday night for the first of those remaining four conference games. The Cougars and Lady Cougars are set to host Marmaduke beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday for the second. Riverside is visiting Rector beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday and BIC coming to town next Friday for homecoming.

Junior boys win

The Junior Cougars came away with a 42-36 win in their meeting with Piggott.

The two teams were tied up at 34-34 with one minute left. Daniel White attacked the basket for Rector, drawing the foul with 53 seconds remaining and sinking two clutch free throws, the second of which he made despite the distraction of Piggott's unique cigar-shaped balloon-like heat dispersal unit in the top of the barn-inspired gymnasium filling with an audible 'pop'.

As the hosts tried to set up an answer on offense, forward Alec Scott came up with a critical steal, returning possession to the Cougars. Scott sent the ball up ahead to Mitchell Weber for a fast break layup, pushing the boys in blue ahead 38-34 with just 38 seconds showing on the clock.

A turnover by Piggott led to two more free throws by White with just under 20 seconds left to play.

White added another pair of free throws for Rector, while Piggott managed just two-of-four in the final seconds to wind out the clock.

Rector led 14-7 after the first, but Piggott battled back, trailing 21-20 at the half. The Cougars had a four point cushion, 32-28, to start the fourth quarter.

Three Rector players reached double figures in the game, with Dillon Shelton's 14 setting the pace. White and Mitchell Weber were right behind, notching 11 points each. Tyler Carter and Scott rounded out the scoring with four and two points, respectively.

"I thought we showed a lot of heart," Mills said of his team. "That was a back-and-forth game that could have gone either way. When the game was on the line, we came up with the plays when we needed to in order to win."

Junior B game

The first of Saturday's games at Piggott was a tale of two halves. In the end, the strong start by the Junior Cougars paved the way for a 29-26 win over the Mohawks.

Adam Dinkins and Reed Weber were each on mission when they took the court, as both played strong in the first half, netting seven and six points, respectively, as Rector built up a strong 21-8 advantage.

Piggott made some changes in the second half, going to a larger lineup which played a far more physical style. This assertiveness and free use of hands led to several Cougar turnovers, allowing the hosts to go on a 10-0 run early in the half.

Ryan Jackson made two key layups, while Dinkins buried a jumper to hold off the Piggott surge and preserve the win for Rector.

Reed Weber led Rector with nine points. Dinkins and Jackson notched eight points each. Josh Loveless and Wes McCluskey rounded out the Cougar scoring with three and two points, respectively.

Loss to EPC

The Cougars had a tough time Friday night in Lepanto, falling to conference leader EPC, 65-36.

Rector trailed throughout: 19-2; 36-20 and 53-30.

EPC got a strong performance from their backcourt duo of Ky Madden, 23 points, and A.J. Turner, 22 points, which made the difference.

Burleson led the Cougars with 10 points. Also scoring were Kirklin 8, Zach Gilbee 6, Horton 6, Haley 4 and Dan Blackshare 2.

Juniors win

The Junior Cougars picked up a win in Lepanto, coming out ahead 43-34.

Mitchell Weber and Scott finished with 14 points each to pace Rector. Dinkins and Shelton rounded out the scoring with eight and seven, respectively.

Conference win

Rector snuck by Marked Tree last Tuesday on the road, 35-34.

The Cougars trailed 7-4 and 18-15 after a slow first half, but moved ahead 41-25 through three quarters of play.

Kirklin led the way with 10 points for Rector. Also scoring were Burleson 8, Stevens 8, Horton 4, Haley 3 and Blackshare 2.