By Kyle Parmley
CLAY – All Clay-Chalkville had to do was win the fourth quarter. And they did. The Cougars knocked off Briarwood Christian 50-48 in a game tied after three quarters Monday night at home.
With the game tied at 37, both teams exchanged baskets twice to start the final frame before a Kenneth Cotton floater from the free throw line gave Clay-Chalkville (4-1) the lead for good. Cotton finished the game with 13 points.
“It took everything we had to come out of here with a win,” Cougars head coach Jeremy Monceaux said.
Clay-Chalkville senior point guard Hasan Abdullah
file photo by Anna Malone
Briarwood Christian (3-6) came out of the gates hot, starting the game on a 10-2 run and leading by eight after the first quarter, led by Sam Cargo’s 11 points. Monceaux wasn’t sure whether to attribute his team’s slow start to rust following a long layoff or their mental preparation.
“We talk about playing 32 minutes, but I just felt like we weren’t ready to start the game,” he said. “But I am a big believer that every time you go out there, it’s another chance to compete.”
The Cougars went into the half down two, but that deficit quickly turned into a six-point advantage early in the third quarter thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from star point guard Hasan Abdullah to cap off an 8-0 run. The senior paced Clay-Chalkville with his 17 points.
“He is every bit of the Division 1 prospect he is for us,” Monceaux said. “He has to carry a big load for us and he doesn’t shy away from it.”
Cargo and Justin Brown combined to pour in 37 of the 48 Lion points on the evening. Brown led the team with 20 points, while Cargo pumped in 17. The duo connected on a total of seven 3-point baskets.
Clay-Chalkville returns to the court Tuesday night as it travels to Pelham.
