BNI Newswire

UNIONTOWN – The eight-time state champions R.C. Hatch Bobcats didn’t waist much time putting away the Keith Bears.

The final score was 51-39, but the game was over long before the final horn sounded.

“We took this game any way they gave us,” said Homer Davis, the second-year Bobcat coach.

Keith played a zone the third and almost all of the fourth quarter to halt the pace and scoring.

Hatch got things going in the first 30 seconds of the game with a 3-pointer from junior Demarcus Porter. Keith would go up briefly by knocking down two straight field goals. In spite of missing five free throws in the first quarter, the Bobcats went ahead for good on another triple, but this time by senior Antoine Starks.

Hatch outscored the Bears 12-4 the final four minutes of the quarter to build a 20-10 lead.

The Bobcats would hold Keith to just eight points in the second quarter. The Hatch defense didn’t allow a bucket the last four minutes of the quarter on the way to doubling their advantage by halftime. The Bears found themselves in a hole 38-18 at the half.

The second half was slowed to a snail’s pace as Keith stayed in a zone for most of the half.

The Bobcats didn’t feel obligated to attack the basket, since they held a big double-digit lead. The Bears never came out of their zone to the crowd’s displeasure, except for the last two minutes of the game when down by more then 10 points, thus almost conceding the game.

“We worked to bring them out of the zone in the second half, but they elected to stay in the zone,” said Davis. “We have taught our players that if a team goes into a zone and we have a lead, we simply hold the ball and let the clock run out.”

Junior Frankie Sullivan led Hatch with 12 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Porter finished with 11 points. Senior Calvin Pope contributed nine points and pulled down eight rebounds. Alvin Jones topped the Bears with eight points.

Hatch, who is ranked No. 2 in the state, is unbeaten at home this season. They are 15-1 in the last two seasons at home. They improve their record to 13-3, including 2-0 in 2A Area-5 play for the season.

In years past it was always the Keith High School Lady Bears on the short end of the area rivalry against the R.C. Hatch Lady Bobcats.

The tide has turned for Keith. It’s now their turn to dominate. They took advantage of a young R C Hatch team Tuesday night, pounding them 56-30 in an area game.

Keith started things off by running up 15 straight points before the Lady Bobcats could find a bucket. Hatch scored its first points at the 1:23 mark of the quarter. The Lady Bobcats led 22-4 after one quarter of play.

Hatch got things rolling in the second quarter by knocking down six consecutive points to cut its deficit to single digits.

Keith would come back to out score the Lady Bobcats 11-4 the rest of the quarter to take a 31-15 halftime lead.

Eboni Smith opened the third quarter for Hatch with a 3-pointer.

The Lady Bears turned turnovers into fast break points to build a 20-point advantage. They would go up 48-20 by the end of the quarter. Hatch would get 10 points in the final quarter after Keith went to its bench for the last eight minutes of the game.

Shauntay Gooden scored a game-high 18 points for Keith. Teammate Vanlisa Jones added 16 points.

Smith led the Lady Bobcats with 11 points. Janita Essex pulled down 11 rebounds and scored six points.