Cove takes down Killeen in Overtime thriller

By SEAN HANEY

Cove Leader-Press

On the last day before their Thanksgiving break, the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs hosted their first and last home game till December. In that home game, the Dawgs took on the Killeen Kangaroos and it was a stunner.

Killeen did not want to go down without a fight as they stayed in the game the entire night. 

In what looked like the end of the game with the Dawgs winning by three, a foul was committed beyond the three-point line with bonus shot in effect meaning that the shooter got three chances to make a shot. 

That is all it took for the Killeen sharpshooter as he made all three shots and tied the game sending it to overtime. 

Overtime was a four-minute quarter, and the Dawgs came out on fire and could not be stopped from scoring and winning the game in overtime. 

The Dawgs would hold on and win 74- 69. 

Henry Sanchez led all players 33 points and making 14 of 18 free throws.  Bryce Smith dropped 12 points on an injured leg and fought through the pain in overtime to help seal the deal. 

Mike Uini and Mateo Sobers had 11 points.  

“That’s an old district rival,” Coach Travis Boyce stated after the game was over. “That’s going to be a rivalry forever. Cove versus Killeen is going to be scrappy every time we play any of those teams and it’s going to come down to the wire more times than not. 

“We wanted to work on pace. Our pace has been down a little bit I feel like we just saw in the Liberty Hill game. So, that was one of the biggest things I want to get out there and really try to control the pace of the game and have Killeen play our style versus us play that style.” 

“I feel like we were pretty solid getting to the basket and doing some things like that,” Boyce said. “It was our field goal percentage I think was pretty low. Free throws were rough. But like I said all in all, it is one situation where we created some plays. We got to the basket. 

“We got some turnovers here late and we forced a lot of turnovers during the course of the game. We didn’t always capitalize like I wanted to but I think we capitalized on enough of them that they ended up on the winning side of the scoreboard.” 

“I’m proud of my players for not giving up when Killeen was fighting their way back into the game,” Assistant Coach Lawrence Payne said. “We had some bright moments at times. At the same time, we have to do a better job of sustaining the lead and keeping the pressure on our opponents.” 

This will be the Dawgs’ last home game until district play starts for them Tuesday, December 20.