The CMS North 7th grade boys basketball teams wrapped up the regular season on Monday night; taking on their other crosstown rival- the CMS East Broncos! C team took up the job of defending their home floor first. And that first game proved that this rivalry is alive and well; on the court and in the stands as well. Both teams played well and it was a tight contest heading to the 4th quarter. Behind a team-leading 9 points from Pedro Avila and contributions from Jack Shannon (5 points) and Ryan Potter (4 points), the Cougars were able to apply the pressure late. And when Rithik Pai made a clutch free throw with 3 seconds left, North put the first nail into the coffin with a 21-17 victory!

With the gym hopping, both B teams took the stage for the second game. Riding the wave of energy, North jumped out to an early lead and stayed in control throughout the contest. Naail Bhatty and Rajiv Anandkumar led the team with 8 points apiece, followed closely by Sam Minteer (6) and Caden Mechsner (5) as nearly every player on the roster dropped the ball through the hoop to help the effort. In the end, B team hammered in the second nail with a 33-24 win of their own!

With Cougar fans bringing down the house, the North A team tipped off with a chance to sweep the East Broncos right out of the building. As the crowd was rocking and rolling along, so was the Cougars defensive pressure and transition offense. Zane Nimalaratne led the team with a hot shooting night and 20 points while Charlie Sauer (10), Suhoon Cho (10) and Madden Montague (9) also filled the score sheet to the top. As the game progressed, the Broncos just did not have an answer as the Cougars took control and emphatically pounded in the final nail of East’s coffin with a 50-35 victory and a SWEEP of the Broncos! What an exciting way to wrap up our 7th grade regular season for all 3 teams!

#GoCougars
UP NEXT: A TEAM District Tourney on Friday/Saturday, 2/4-2/5 at Trinity Springs MS

Overall on the season:
A team: 6-6
B team: 4-8
C team: 3-6 (City Champs)