By ANDREW FEEBACK
COWAN — The Cowan Blackhawks proved to be a tough matchup in multiple ways for the Southern Wells Raiders Friday night, and the visiting Raiders came out on the wrong end of a 75-52 contest to end the regular season.
Cowan knocked down 10 shots beyond the arc, compared to just one by Southern Wells, and the Blackhawks fed off the post play of 6-9 center Cole Duncan.
Duncan wasn’t Cowan’s top scorer in this game, but he chipped in 13 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, blocked a handful of shots, and altered more.
“We thought their size would give us problems,” coach Joel Roush said. “We really worked to combat that, and it wound up being the three-point shooting that hurt us more. We let (Timmy Watson) get loose a few times, and he’s a really good shooter.”
The Blackhawks (10-12) scored the last 15 points of the first half to take a 39-15 lead at the break. The Raiders (6-15) had pulled within 24-15 with 4:32 to play in the half, but failed to score again before intermission.
A five-point edge in the third quarter helped the Raiders make a bit of a push, with an 11-0 run cutting the lead to 49-34.
“I think we figured out we still have to attack the basket downhill regardless of whether the big kid is in the game or not,” Roush said. “We just had to play off his reaction. I think we tried to force things a bit when he was in there, and we didn’t attack him enough off the dribble to make him commit. At least that way, we’d be getting a look that we normally get and a look that we want.”
Southern Wells got three straight baskets early in the fourth quarter to pull within 60-44 but came no closer.
Chandler Oswalt and Jenson Nusbaumer both had 14 points for the Raiders.
Timmy Watson scored 24 for Cowan, including six three-pointers. Mason Kidd and Bradley Terrell each had 10.
The Raiders will open sectional play at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening against Fort Wayne Canterbury. The game will take place at Southwood High School.
“They’ve got two really good players, and we’ve got to slow them down enough so we can win,” Roush said.
The Raider JV team capped off its season with a 55-50 overtime win. Bryar Gearheart scored 19 points, while CJ Reber added 16.
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COWAN 75,
SOUTHERN WELLS 52
At Cowan High School
SOUTHERN WELLS (6-15): Kedrik Sonnigen 2-9 0-2 5, Nick Lozoya 0-3 0-0 0, Andrew Aker 1-5 1-2 3, Jenson Nusbaumer 7-10 0-0 14, Bryar Gearheart 0-0 0-0 0, Evan Pennington 4-9 0-1 8, Tucker Worster 0-0 0-0 0, Chandler Oswalt 4-12 6-7 14, CJ Reber 0-1 0-0 0, Tristen Worster 0-0 0-0 0, Gage Roberts 1-1 0-0 2, Quinton Mullins 0-0 0-0 0, Perrin Gates 3-10 0-1 6. TOTALS: 22-60 7-13 52.
COWAN (10-12): Mason Kidd 4-10 0-0 10, Timmy Watson 8-14 2-3 24, Luke Garrett 0-0 0-0 0, Blaine Marlatt 4-4 1-1 9, Clark Trimble 0-1 1-2 1, Logan Walker 0-0 0-0 0, Griffin Smith 2-5 0-0 6, Cole Duncan 5-9 3-4 13, Bradley Terrell 4-7 2-2 10, Victor Garrett 1-1 0-0 2, Jayden Terry 0-0 0-0 0, Gentry Groves 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 28-51 9-12 75.
So. Wells 9 6 23 14 — 52
Cowan 14 25 18 18 — 75
Three-point Goals: Southern Wells 1-13 (Sonnigsen 1-2, Oswalt 0-5, Aker 0-2, Nubaumer 0-1, Lozoya 0-1, Pennington 0-1, Reber 0-1), Cowan 10-19 (Watson 6-11, Smith 2-3, Kidd 2-4, Trimble 0-1). Rebounds: Southern Wells 26 (Sonnigsen 9, Gates 7, Oswalt 2, Pennington 2, Lozoya 2, Nusbaumer 2, Roberts 1, Aker 1), Cowan 32 (Duncan 15, Victor Garrett 5, Walker 3, Smith 3, Kidd 2, Luke Garrett 1, Marlatt 1, Terrell 1, Terry 1). Turnovers: Southern Wells 11, Cowan 15. Fouls: Southern Wells 15, Cowan 12. Fouled out: Gates, Marlatt. Technicals: Marlatt.
JV: Southern Wells 55, Cowan 50, OT.
