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(THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Jacob Omundi was a key player for the Bobcats during their Tuesday, Jan. 14 matchup against Garner. Omundi provided crucial points in the last two quarters which helped push the Newcastle team ahead. -
(THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Ryan Holden jumps to make a shot near the 3-point line for the Bobcats during their matchup Tuesday, Jan. 15. The team kept the lead for the majority of the game, but the Garner defense put up an aggressive front. -
(THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Keyton Newland jumps to make a 2-point shot over Garner players who put up an aggressive defense all game. Newland was a powerhouse on the court and helped lead the Bobcats to victory Tuesday, Jan. 14. -
(THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Rylan Hinojosa pushes past Garner defenders during an aggressive game Tuesday, Jan. 14 which resulted in a 46-26 win. The Bobcats managed to push far ahead near the end of the game to secure the win.
Aggression was the name of the game Tuesday as the Newcastle Bobcats fought fouls, missed shots and a Garner team that would not let up. Despite that, a late game boost brought the team to a hard-fought victory.
It was a game that had Newcastle and Garner fans on the edge of their seats from the beginning.
“I was proud of our defensive intensity throughout the entire game,” head coach James King said. “We were able to hold #13 and #30, who both average close to 20 points per game, to only 10 points total.”
Out of the gate the Longhorns defense was pushing back hard on the Bobcats and continued that pursuit the whole game.
Following a 2-point shot from Jacob Omundi in the first quarter, Keyton Newland pushed the Bobcats ahead with a 3-point shot to bring the score to 5-3. Despite Newcastle being ahead the remainder of the game, the Longhorns were never far behind for the first three quarters.
The first quarter had both teams fighting for control across the court and ended with a score of 14-7, with the Bobcats ahead.
The same fight could be seen in the second quarter, with the only scoring from the Newcastle team between three timeouts on a layup shot from Ben Burk.
Moving into halftime the teams were only six points apart, with Newcastle leading 16-10 and the future of the game uncertain. Across all four quarters the Newcastle team had a total of 19 fouls called, with seven in the third quarter alone.
While fighting fouls, the Bobcats were pushing to widen the scoring gap with Garner continuing to linger in their shadow and mirroring the first two quarters.
Big plays by Omundi and Newland pushed the team to 22-10 near the beginning of the quarter but the Longhorns shrunk that scoring gap and held the Bobcats to just four more points. The quarter ended with the two teams within five points at 26-21.
Fouls continued into the fourth quarter for the Newcastle team, but their dedication to see the victory broke through and netted them 20 points, the most of any quarter the entire game.
After scoring only a one 3-point shot in the third quarter, Newland brought three 2-point shots in the fourth quarter and was joined with his teammates who were ready to make a statement.
Rylan Hinojosa scored a 2-point shot and two points on a free throw attempt while Omundi contributed two more 2-points shots before getting fouled out. Joey Soito, Tristan Clemons and London Martinez also each scored 2-point shots securing the win for the team.
The final push from the Bobcats on offense and defense put the team far ahead with a final score of 46-26.
The head coach said the team will work on block out and securing rebound as it move further into district.
“Our district is tough and every game matters,” King said. “In order to take advantage of each game we play, and give ourselves the chance to win, I have to emphasize the importance of controlling the game and executing offensively. We were a little loose with the ball at times.”
Leading in scoring for the Bobcats was Newland with 18 points, followed by Omundi with nine points, Hinojosa with seven points, Clemons with four points and Burk, Soito and Martinez with two points each.
After traveling Friday, Jan. 17 to Woodson, the Bobcats will make another trip Tuesday, Jan. 21 to Throckmorton and play after the Ladycats matchup which starts at 6 p.m.
