Pope comes off bench to lift Bobcats

Published 12:00 am Thursday, January 27, 2005

UNIONTOWN – Players from both teams dived onto the floor as arms and legs became an entaglement of parts in search for possession of the ball.

In a third period that resembled more a rugby game, the R.C. Hatch High School Bobcats tackled turnovers and the Greensboro East Raiders.

The Bobcats went on a 10-0 run midway through the third and coasted to an 84-60 win over the Raiders, Wednesday night at R.C. Hatch High School.

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After turning the ball over numerous times in the first half, the Bobcats fought, scratched and clawed in order to hold on to the ball in the pivotal third period.

“We were turning the ball over a lot early in the game,” R.C. Hatch coach Eugene Mason said. “I just asked them to play better defense and to hold on to the ball.”

That’s when Calvin Pope stepped in.

Pope was benched for the start of the game after missing three practices last week, but offered a defensive and offensive lift for the Bobcats. His rebounding in the third period and aggressive moves to the hoop in the fourth helped the Bobcats break open a close game and improve to 18-2 on the season.

“You could tell he wanted to play,” Mason said of Pope. “He put all of his effort into the game.”

The Bobcats led 42-32 at halftime, but were unable to create any space between themselves and the Raiders early in the third period. That is, until Pope began hitting the boards. His first rebound resulted in a Phillip Johnson running lay-up that sparked a 10-0 run and gave the Bobcats a 60-40 cushion.

In the fourth quarter, Pope took matters – and the ball – into his own hands. His running lay-up from the right wing began a three-point play that stretched the Hatch lead to 78-58.

Pope finished off the Raiders with two tomahawk slam-dunks through the lane.