Salem…When you play only one good quarter out of four the results are going to be bad. The Pulaski Co. Cougars got that bad result as they lost to a two win only Salem team 62-50.
The Cougars started off slowly falling behind 19-8 in the first five minutes and found themselves behind 22-12 after the opening period. They found themselves in the second quarter taking a 27-26 lead but a bucket by Salem in the last second gave them a 28-27 lead into intermission.
The Cougars could never get the lead again and were down 42-39 after three as they kept giving up basically layup after layup. The third quarter also saw he Cougar bench getting a technical called on them for what seemed like for what the crowd said on a bad call that went against them.
After that the game seemed to even go more toward the Salem Spartans as they stretched their lead out to double figures in the fourth quarter.
Pulaski Co. 9-5 most of the game seemed lethargic and disinterested. They play bad defense as the Spartans continued to drive to the rim and got layups. The Cougars on defense took not a single charge as they just got beat trying to guard the Spartans.
“ We weren’t ready to play tonight,” said a very disappointed Cougar head coach Andrew Hart. “ We were lackluster on defense, we didn’t shoot well and we didn’t do the little things that we have to do to compete. We are very inconsistent and on the road we just not doing things we need to do to play well.” Coach Hart then added,” When you play defense like we did tonight you are going to lose. We played well the second quarter and that was it. “
Salem (3-11) got 23 points from Baylor Mabes as he either stroked three’s or would drive uncontested for two. Isaiah Donaldson had 15 and Shane Simpson produced 10.
Cougars got 15 points from C C Grubb and 14 from Logan Robertson. The loss was embarrassing in that how do you beat a very athletic and talented Patrick Henry team and the loss to a two win team in Salem. This was another road woe loss for the Cougars as they have lost to a two win Christiansburg and three win Bassett teams all on the road.
The Cougar junior varsity playing perhaps one of their worse games of the season lost to the young Spartans 64-43. Salem got 25 points from Alex Blanchard and 13 from Bobby Pinello. The Cougars were led by Julian Black with 10 points and his teammates Hayden Gray and Dillon Porter chipped in with six. The JV team saw their record fall to 9-5.
Pulaski Co. will be in the Cougar Den Wednesday as they take on the Wm.Byrd Terriers. JV tips at 5:30 and varsity at 7pm.
Pul. Co. 12 15 12 11-50
Salem 22 6 14 20-62
Pul Co.- (9-5) – C Grubb 15, B.Grubb 7, Roberson 4, Robertson 14, Blevins 5, Reinhardt 5
Salem- (3-11) – Mabes 23, Donaldson 15, Dodd 3, Austin 7, Simpson 10, Tucker 4
3 Pt. Goals – PC- 5-(Robertson 3, B. Grubb, Blevins), Salem- 5-(Mabes 3, Austin, Simpson)
Fouls – PC- 14, Salem 15
Technicals – Cougar bench (fans?)