After outshining the Bo Manor Eagles in a road matchup last week, the Cougars came back to The Den this Monday for a matchup against the rival Bel Air Bobcats. Welcomed home by a packed student section, Fallston got off to a strong start and pulled away in the second half to come out with a win over the opposing Bobcats 71-52.
Dressed in a blackout theme, the Cougar student section showed out in high numbers, and did not disappoint when it came to bringing the noise. That, and strong performances from both starters and bench players led to the Cougars offense dominating and taking advantage of Bel Air mistakes on the other end of the court.
“I’m proud of every single one of us, we came out with energy at the start of both halves and played our brand of basketball,” said Senior Dominic Witherspoon, who contributed multiple spot-up jumpers and rebounds to help the Cougs get past a strong Bel Air team. “Beating Bel Air is always fun because they’re our rivals and you get bragging rights over your friends from that school,” Witherspoon continued.
Men’s basketball is one of multiple Fallston athletics teams to beat the Bobcats this school year, though football lost a one-score game to them a few months ago. It’s safe to say this rivalry is not going anywhere, as Bel Air fans also showed up in respectable number, hoping to cheer their team to a win. Thankfully, the Cougars were able to block out the noise out earn a statement win.
“We never let off the pressure and we did well getting the ball up the court quick to score on fast breaks,” Junior Oliver Schamburg commented, who assisted Fallston in their win with an eleven-point performance. Cougar fans also enjoyed a double-digit performance from another Oliver, as Junior Oliver Rueckert dropped fifteen.
The Cougars continue a home stand with a game against the North Harford Hawks this coming tonight, as they look to improve to 7-5 and earn another win over a rival. Fallston will also complete their season series against Bel Air early next month, February 6th, as they will look to sweep the Bobcats.
