The Bossier Bearkats fell just short in their bid for the non-select Division II state championship Saturday night in Lake Charles.
The No. 6 seed Bearkats fell to the top-seed and defending champion Wossman Wildcats 50-44 in the title game at the Burton Complex.
The game went down to the wire. Bossier rallied from a six-point deficit with 2:34 left to play. The Bearkats got within two on a jumper by Javonte Small with 1:53 left.
With just over a minute left, Bossier almost forced a turnover in the lane. A held ball was called and Wossman retained possession.
The Wildcats ran time off the clock. The Bearkats continued to look for a chance to steal but were eventually forced to foul.
Wossman’s Davey Mays sank two free throws with 26.9 seconds left. The Bearkats were called for traveling on a drive to the basket. Wossman made two more free throws for the final margin.
After a 7-11 start, Bossier finished 22-12. The Bearkats had a 15-game winning streak snapped. Wossman finished 28-6.
“Games like that you just hope nobody loses,” Bossier Head Coach Justin Collins said. “Somebody got to lose. Hats off to Wossman. We know them very well. Much love and respect to them. We just didn’t get it done.”
Wossman defeated Bossier 73-62 in the regular season. The Bearkats and Wildcats have also met several times in the playoffs in recent years.
“Not a lot of Xs and 0s,” Collins said. “A lot of grit and grind and who can make the plays at the end. We just didn’t make them at the end.”
Collins praised his team’s effort.
“As a coach that’s all you can ask for is guys to give everything they got,” he said. “And they gave everything they got. I’m proud of them.
“When you give everything you got you can say, Coach I didn’t have nothing left. That’s all I ask for. You can walk away with your head high and congratulate the other team and go on with your next journey in life.”
Kerel Woods led Bossier with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 Woods will be continuing his career at Xavier of New Orleans next season.
“It was fun while it lasted to get here with my team,” he said. “Being a leader is tough
… I gave it all I had. I wanted to bring it home. What we wear on our chest, it means a lot.”
Freshman guard David Thomas scored 14 points. His four 3-pointers helped give the Bearkats a chance to win.
Jatravion Bunnery had eight rebounds and seven points.
The Bearkats actually shot better from the field than the Wildcats. Bossier hit 18-of-48 (37.5 percent). The Bearkats were 7-of-20 from 3-point range. Wossman made 17-of-56 (30.4 percent). The Wildcats made 5-of-22 3-pointers.
A major difference was turnovers. Bossier had 17 with Wossman scoring 19 points off them. Wossman had nine with Bossier scoring five.
In their semifinal victory against Minden, Bossier shot 30 free throws. The Bearkats were 1-of-6 Saturday night. The Wildcats were 11-of-17.
Bossier got off to a great start and led 12-5 late in the first quarter. Wossman’s Morgan Robertson made a fast-break layup with 3 seconds left to cut the lead to 12-7.
The Wildcats tied it it the second quarter. Thomas scored with 22 seconds left to give Bossier a 22-17 lead. But Zion Weeks, who led the Wildcats with 24 points, hit a 3 with 15 seconds left.
Bossier led 27-26 in the third when Wossman went on an 8-3 run for a 35-29 lead with 2:00 left. Thomas hit two 3-pointers to keep Bossier in it. The Bearkats trailed 36-35 going into the fourth.
The game was tied at 38 and 40 before the Wildcats went up by six and the Bearkats’ rally fell short.