The Fort Chiswell First Community Bank Christmas Tournament came to an end Thursday, with the Cougar JV squad earning the JV title and the varsity squad finishing in sixth place overall.
The JV squad started the action for the Cougars with a 66-38 win over Carroll County.
Pulaski County took an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. The Cougars were outscored 15-12 by the Cavaliers in the second quarter, leaving the Cougars up 30-23 at the halftime break. Pulaski County wasn’t going to be denied, however, and they outscored the Cavs 17-11 in the third and 19-4 in the fourth to earn the win.
This was the second year in a row for the JV Cougars earning the tournament title in Fort Chiswell. With the win, they have now defeated Carroll County three times and see their overall record improve to 7-2 on the season.
Justus Hash led the way for the younger Cougars with 20 points. Jalere Harlow backed him up with 13 points. Silas Sweet chipped in seven points. Johnny Anderson and Braxton Merchant scored six points each. Aden Drummonds added five points. Bryant Nottingham scored four. Chase Lawrence and Will O’Neal added two points each. Savion Thompson scored one point in the win.
The varsity squad played later, with the Cougars facing off with the Cavaliers in the fifth-place matchup. The Cougars found the going tough again against the Cavs, falling 48-63. This was the third loss to the Cavs this season and moves the Cougar record to 1-8 overall.
The Cougars came out hot, hitting five three-pointers on their way to a 17-9 lead at the end of the first. Kyle O’Neal lit the scoreboard up with three long shots. Lane Nester was good for two three-pointers. Unfortunately, the Cougars were held to just six points in the second quarter, leaving them behind 23-25 at the half after the Cavaliers scored 16 points.
Things continued to go downhill in the third quarter, with the Cavs outscoring the Cougars 17-11 to take a 42-34 lead. The fourth quarter was similar, with the Cavaliers outscoring Pulaski County 21-16 to earn the win.
Lane Nester led the Cougars with 15 points. Kyle O’Neal added 11 points and Jele Green scored eight. Marcus Reed scored six points. Tootie O’Dell and Khalib Horton added four points each.
The Cougars will be back in action Tuesday, January 3, when they host Hidden Valley. Wednesday, January 4, the Cougars will host Graham High School. Saturday, January 7, the Cougars will travel to Floyd County High School for a game against James River.