Bobcats Down Johnsonburg In D-9 Playoff Opener (02/17/16)
The Clarion Area Boys Basketball Team faced the visiting Johnsonburg Rams, in the opening round of the District Nine Class-A Playoffs, tonight (Wednesday, February 17th) and came away with a 51-37 victory. With the victory the Bobcats will move to a quarterfinal match-up with Coudersport, as part of a double-header, also featuring the Clarion Cat and Coudersport Girls Teams, on Friday night (February 19th), at Kane High School. The Girls game tips off at 6:00PM and the Boys game is at 7:30PM.
Leading scorer Ceventh Lynch-Skunda looking to pass
The game was close through the first three periods, with neither team having a run of more than four points. The Rams held 9-7 lead after one. The Bobcats only lead in the quarter was at 6-5.
When Cameron Craig hit the front end of a one-and-one, midway through the second, the Cats had their second lead of the game, at 13-12. Craig converted the second shot moving the lead to 14-12. After a bucket by the Rams Kacey Raubenstrauch tied the score at 14-all. Then with Johnsonburg in possession, Craig stole the ball and took it in for a layup, giving the Cats the lead for good at 16-14. A three point basket by Ryan Anthony with under five seconds left in the half, gave the Cats a 19-15 lead at intermission.
The Bobcats held five point leads twice in the third quarter. Both came on three point buckets. Reed Anthony hit a trey to give the Cats a 22-17 lead and later Ceventh Lynch-Skunda hit a three, for a 30-25 lead. Johnsonburg’s Kevin Benson closed out the third quarter scoring with a slam dunk, cutting the Clarion lead to 30-27.
The Ram’s Ryan Kilhoffer hit a bucket to open the final stanza, moving Johnsonburg to within one at 30-29.
That was enough, as the Cats decided to put on a major offensive display with a 17-0 run, capped by another trey by Ryan Anthony. The score was now 47-29. After that, the closest the Rams could get was 14 points, at 49-35. Spencer Miller scored for the Cats moving the lead to 51-35. A late Johnsonburg basket set the 51-37 final.
Lynch-Skunda led the Bobcats with 16 points, including two 3-pointers. Craig, seeing his first action after time off with an injury, also scored in double-figures with twelve. Eight Craig’s points were from the foul line. Many of his free throw opportunities came because he was driving to the hoop.
Ryan Anthony, Brendan (Bo) Miller and Spencer Miller had six points apiece. Reed Anthony had five. Though Ty Burford scored only two points, he did a masterful job inside, pulling down rebounds and handling Johnsonburg’s big man very well. It has been great watching Burford’s inside game develop this season. He is starting to become an inside force to be reckoned with.
CAT QUOTES
Coach Jess Quinn had this to say after the game: “At halftime we talked about not turning the ball over. And that was key in the second half. If you looked other than right there at the end, we did a much better job of holding on to the ball. We still made some mistakes. But then we picked up the defensive end.
“The boys really started doing what all the coaches, at halftime, told them to do, what we needed to do to be successful. And they came out, and you saw it. Especially in the fourth quarter.
“What a blessing to have Cam back. He’s your general on the court. Ceventh stepped up. Ryan and Reed.
“Ty Burford did an unbelievable job on their big man, when Bo went out, with his fouls. Ty deserves all the credit in the world. He did a nice, nice job.”
(Great job, Cats!!!!)