In-County Rivalry Hoops
Jr. Warriors second half execution leads to victory against rivals' Jr. Panthers in second season matchup
DONALDSON — To tipoff a night of Hot Spring County rivalry hoops competition Friday, the Ouachita Jr. Warriors hosted another showdown on the hardwood against rivals' Magnet Cove Jr. Panthers for a top-notch junior high boys battle on the Ouachita High School AllCare Pharmacy Court.
While the game showcased a competitive 24 minutes of two talented ball teams in the area, the Jr. Warriors were victorious 40-27 against the Jr. Panthers.
It was close in the first six minutes of action, but the Jr. Panthers finished with a 10-9 lead. In the second quarter, Ouachita and Magnet Cove, matched each other's scoring for eight points apiece (8-8). At the break, the Jr. Panthers held a slight one-point lead over the Jr. Warriors.
Coming out the locker room for the second half, the Jr. Warriors created a productive team rhythm to outplay the Jr. Panthers. In the third, Ouachita outscored Magnet Cove 15-4. At the end of three quarters, the Jr. Warriors maintained a 30-22 lead over the Jr. Panthers. In the fourth quarter, the Jr. Warriors sparked for eight points scored while surprisingly, defensively held the Jr. Panthers to five points scored. Magnet Cove was held under double-digit scoring in the third and fourth quarters for the second half.
For the game, Ouachita's Caden Lee led all scorers with 15 points and drilled two triples from beyond the arc. Kaiden Bahr followed with 10 points for double-figures.
For Magnet Cove, Jr. Panthers' Bo Batchelor led scoring with eight points and drained a triple from downtown. Bronson Coolis and Luke Harper each finished with six points. Coolis also knocked down two trifectas from beyond the arc.