Cabot pulls away from PA

The Cabot boys’ basketball team trailed Pulaski Academy at the end of every quarter except the one that counted most on Tuesday, earning a 62-50 win over the Bruins in the first round of the Cabot Pre-Holiday Classic at Panther Arena. It was the Bruins’ season opener. Unlike other schools with successful football programs, Pulaski Academy doesn’t start basketball until the football team is completely finished with its season. Both teams feature the same standout player, 6-foot-2 guard Tra Johnson, who is also a Division I wide receiver prospect who has scholarship offers from two military academies, two Ivy League schools and George-town. His 20 points weren’t enough as Cabot nearly doubled its point total from the first half to the second, and more than doubled the Bruins’ on the boards. Both teams shot as much from 3-point range as two-point, and both teams shot well. Cabot shot really well, hitting 10 of 18 3-pointers, including seven by senior guard Jalen Brown. The Panthers were also much better at the foul line. Those two things plus the rebounding were the key differences in the game. Cabot hit 14 of 16 free throws and outrebounded Pulaski 23-11. The Bruins made just 6 of 12 free throws. “That fourth quarter you saw, really, more of how we want to do this thing,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges. “You saw Jared (Vance) pitching in. Noah (Allgood) got his thing going and it became a total team effort. That’s why we were able to pull it out at the end. Jalen Brown had an awesome night. He was our lift early that kept us in it, but it was the end of the game where everybody was clicking together that made the difference. “PA has a solid team. For that to be their first game with four guys three days from football, they made us sweat more than I cared to sweat.” The first half was played at a very slow pace, and the tone was set right away. Cabot won the tip and passed the ball around looking for an open shot for a full minute and a half before a turnover ended the possession. The Panthers returned the favor and forced a turnover, and then scored the first eight points of the game. Johnson made two free throws for PA’s first two points with 3:27 left in the first quarter, and that started a slow Bruin run and a long Cabot drought. From Johnson’s free throws to halfway through the second quarter, PA put together a 19-3 run and held a 19-11 lead with four minutes left in the first half. Brown’s 3-point shooting kept Cabot in the game. He had nine points on 3-pointers in the first quarter to keep Cabot within 12-11. He then hit two more after Cabot fell behind by eight points in the second quarter. Still, the Bruins led 25-21 at halftime, but the rest of the Panthers contributed in the second half and Cabot scored 41 points in the last two quarters, including 23 in the fourth. Pulaski Academy hung with Cabot’s pace in the third quarter. Zac Fischer and E.J. Anderson combined for three 3-pointers while Johnson dropped in six straight points from inside, helping the Bruins maintain a 42-39 advantage by the start of the fourth quarter. From there it was all Cabot. Anderson hit one free throw before Brown made two to pull Cabot to within 43-41. Jared Vance and Brown then hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 47-43 Cabot lead and Landon Vaught made a nifty inside move for a six-point advantage. Vance then hit another 3-pointer and PA was forced to start fouling. Cabot’s excellent free-throw shooting didn’t allow the Bruins to close the gap as the Panthers pulled away for the victory. Brown finished with 32 points on 7 of 11 3-point shooting, 2 for 3 two-point shooting and 7 of 8 free-throw shooting, all in the fourth quarter. Post player Noah Allgood scored 13 to keep PA’s defense honest and help create opportunities for the perimeter shooters. Pulaski Academy (1-1) bounced back with a 59-51 win over Searcy on Thursday and will play in the second-place game at 4:30 p.m. today. Cabot (6-1) played Searcy last night after Leader deadlines. The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Cabot High School Athletics

CABOT PULLS AWAY FROM PA

RAY BENTON

The Arkansas Leader | 12/11/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Cabot High School Athletics