Basketball Recap: Center Comes Up Short

After flying high against Wheatland last Wednesday, Center came back down to earth. The Center Cougars were just a bucket shy of victory on Friday and fell 60-59 to the Bear River Bruins. The Cougars were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Bruins earlier this season, when they won 63-53.

Andy McLear and Tima Makovey certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. McLear posted 28 points, while Makovey earned 17 points and six boards. The contest was McLear's fourth in a row with at least ten points.

Even though they lost, Center was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bear River only racked up eight assists.

Leading Bear River to victory were Dylan Donley and Luke Jeffers. Donley went 9 for 19 on his way to 25 points, while Jeffers scored eight points along with 20 rebounds and four blocks. Jeffers continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Kyle Smith was another key player, putting up nine points.

Center's loss was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 9-14. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.3 points per game. As for Bear River, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 11-12.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Center will face off against Marysville at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Marysville knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past ten matchups -- so hopefully Center likes a good challenge. As for Bear River, they will square off against Mira Loma at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Bear River is facing Mira Loma at the right time seeing as Mira Loma is stuck on a three-game losing streak.