The Cope Cougars and Greenacres Mustangs are alone at the top of the Bossier Parish middle school eighth- and seventh-grade boys basketball district standings.
Cope’s victory over Haughton combined with Benton’s 48-38 win over Rusheon left the Cougars as the only team without an eighth-grade district loss after Thursday’s action. In the other eighth-grade game, Elm Grove edged Greenacres 33-32.
Cope is 4-0 in district play. Benton and Rusheon are tied for second at 3-1. Cope hosts Rusheon Monday.
Greenacres’ victory over Elm Grove combined with Cope’s 45-42 win over Haughton left the Mustangs as the only team without a seventh-grade district loss. In the other seventh-grade game, Rusheon defeated Benton 44-22.
Greenacres is 4-0 in district play. Haughton is in second at 3-1. Rusheon and Cope are tied for second at 2-2. Greenacres and Haughton face off Monday at Greenacres.
At Cope, the seventh-grade game was a hard-fought thriller. Neither team led by more than six points.
Cope started strong in the fourth quarter and grabbed a five-point lead. But Haughton responded with an 8-0 run.
The game was tied with 24 seconds left. Cope’s Jamal Johnson was fouled with 12 seconds left but had to leave the game because of a cramp.
John Michael McLain came off the bench and hit one of two free throws in his first appearance in the game.
Kyle McConathy stole the inbounds pass and passed to Brandon Marshall who hit a layup with six seconds left. McConathy then made another steal to seal the victory.
Marshall led the Cougars with 15 points. McConathy led the defensive effort with eight steals. Johnson, McConathy and Amir Wineglass scored six points apiece.
D’Marcus Hall led Haughton with 10 points. Keyshawn Davis added nine and Tristan Sweeney eight.
Eleven Cougars scored in Cope’s eighth-grade victory. Kalaas Roots led the way with 10.
At Elm Grove, Malcolm Britt scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the first quarter to lead the Greenacres seventh-grade squad to the victory.
Tobias Boone and Gnoble Peterson combined for seven points for Elm Grove.
Amani Larry led the victorious Elm Grove eighth-graders with eight points. Eric Brown added six.
Fred Lemons tossed in 16 points to lead Greenacres. Trey Taylor, Kourtnee Samuels and Ricky Williams combined for 15.
Elm Grove led by eight after three quarters, and a Greenacres rally in the fourth came up just short.
At Benton, the victorious Rusheon seventh-graders had three players score in double figures — Kedrick Boone (14), Kevin Pouncy (13) and Kedrick Henderson (10).
Tre Butler and Bryson Connell combined for 13 points for the Tigers. Benton coach Jared Stowell said Ryder Woolen played well defensively and Cade Scott and Deagan Covington shined with their efforts.
Bubba Osby poured in 19 points to lead the victorious Benton eighth-graders. Johntavious Johnson added 13. Stowell said Turner Toms and Ethan Yarbrough contributed to the victory with their rebounding efforts.
Rusheon’s Jacoby Decker led all scorers with 24 points.
— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com
