Cougars bounce back from their first Conference lost of the season to win at home. Coming off a game early in the week, the Lawson State Cougars knew they would have two more tough games ahead of them. The first of the two, at Gadsden State, proved to be the hardest as the Cougars got their first Conference loss 84-81. After a frantic comeback, a three point shot at the buzzer fell short and the Cardinals walked away with the win. Stated head Coach Phillip Shumpert, “We had a couple of guys sick but that didn’t take away from the fact that our guys just didn’t execute our game plan and a well coached Gadsden State team played extremely hard tonight.” He added, “Gadsden State is a great team and on tonight they wanted it just a little more.” On the night, the Cougars shot a moderate 41% from the field, but what stood out was the below par 14% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Cougars was freshman guard/forward Coty Clarke with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Point guard Worrel Clahar also netted 18.

The Cougars had only one day to regroup from the lost because a 4 pm matchup against a great Shelton State team was less than 48 hours away. In the game against Shelton, the Cougars had a much better defensive effort. The game was close the entire way with Lawson being able to pull away in the last two minutes and secure a 81-74 win. Shelton State appeared to have gained the momentum when after making a shot to put Shelton up by one, a Shelton player was assessed a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. After making both free throws, the Cougars never relinquished the lead. For the second game in a row, freshman Coty Clarke had a monster night. Against Shelton, the small forward from Antioch, Tennessee was much of a “stat stuffer”. He finished with 19 points, 21 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 4 steals while shooting a blistering 88% from the field and 75% from the free throw line. On Clarke, Shumpert said, “Coty had a great game for us tonight. He is playing with a sense of urgency and I am finally getting him to understand how important it is for him to play hard for the entire game.” Three other Cougars scored in double figures: Taaj Ridley (13 points), Tarvin Gaines (10 points), and Cameron Luckett (15 points). Luckett came up big for the Cougars, scoring 13 of his 15 after intermission. He provided a much needed 3 point spark for the Cougars off the bench.

The Cougars again only had one day to regroup as they travel to Marion Military for a 7:30 p.m. matchup. For the season the Cougars are 22-5 and 11-1 in Conference.

Inclement weather put the #21 Cougars of Lawson State in a situation of having to play four Conference games in seven days. Despite a lethargic first half in their latest contest versus Conference foe Northwest Shoals CC, the Cougars still managed to maintain their up-tempo style of play in a 102-81 win. The Cougars have been able to continue their winning ways and are not atop the Region 22 standings with a 21-4 season record and a 10-0 Conference mark.

During the seven day stretch, the Cougars also defeated Bevill State CC (107-82), Snead State CC (96-82), and Shelton State CC (86-84) in a thriller. The much anticipated match up against Shelton State did not disappoint. There was never a double digit lead on either side and the game was decided by a shot from the free throw line with 3.8 seconds left in the game by sophomore guard Larry McGaughey. A last second half court shot by Shelton was unsuccessful and the Cougars came away with the hard fought victory. “Shelton State is a great team and we knew coming into the game, it was probably going down to the wire,” stated Lawson head coach Phillip Shumpert. “After two missed free throws by Shelton, we called a time out and drew up a play that failed earlier in the season in a one point loss at Itawamba; this time, however, our guys executed on the play and we escaped with a win,” he added.

The Cougars had little time to celebrate as the contest against Northwest Shoals was only three days later. Shumpert was a little apprehensive both of his team’s mental and physical state after such an exciting game.  “I just hope our guys didn’t expend so much energy in the hard fought victory against Shelton that it had a huge effect on us versus Shoals, a very athletic and talented team,” noted the second year head coach. The contest against the visitors of Northwest Shoals saw the Cougars get off to a sluggish start and an eight point deficit midway through the first half. However, the Cougars were able to shake off the slow start and took a three point lead into the locker room with a 51-48 lead.

The Cougars were able to get back to their hardnosed defensive style of basketball in the second half and eventually built a large lead in the second half. The Patriots were never able to cut the deficit to less than fourteen and the Cougars ended the night with their 12^th win in a row. On the night, the Cougars were led by sophomore forward Tarvin Gaines with 24 points. Fellow sophomores Larry McGaughey (19 points), Worrel Clahar (15 points, 8 assists) and Taaj Ridley (14 points, 16 rebounds) also led the Cougar efforts.

The Cougars have only 48 hours to rest as they hit the road to take on Gadsden State CC on Thursday, February 15. Tipoff is at 7:30 pm.