Cowboys Continue Quest For State Birth

North Gem would continue in their district tournament last week.  After a big win at home against the Miners from Mackay the Cowboys would have to travel to Watersprings Christian to take on the number two seeded Warriors.  This ever important semi final would give the winner a ticket to the state tournament and a chance to play for the district title while the loser would be sent to the consolation bracket and have to run a gauntlet to qualify for state.  As this game kicked off the Cowboys found themselves in a hole early.  Some early miscues and missed foul shots would find North Gem down 8-2.  The Cowboys would settle in and get the score to 10-8 before letting the Warriors go on a 6-2 run to finish the quarter with North Gem trailing 16-10.  In the second the Warriors length would make it difficult to score inside for the Cowboys meanwhile foul trouble on the defensive side of the ball would allow Watersprings to extend their lead.  The lead would get as high as thirteen before North Gem would battle back to within seven.  More turnovers and fouls would see the half end with the Cowboys down 30-20.  Watersprings would get the fast start in the third by hitting an early three and the lead would grow once again.  It would be nearly three and a half minutes before the Cowboys would get on the board in the third and at the halfway mark they would be trailing 39-24.  Yost and Setser would find themselves in foul trouble throughout the game making things difficult for the Cowboys.  O’Brien would still battle hard and have a solid game but as the third came to a close North Gem would still trail 44-34, despite cutting into the lead.  The fourth would not be kind to the Cowboys once again as they would again struggle to get on the board.  Over four minutes of play would happen before Hayden would hit a three giving the Cowboys their first points of the quarter.  Watersprings was up by seventeen at that point and they wouldn't let up.  With Yost and Setser on the bench the Warriors turned up the pressure on the ball and North Gem would struggle getting it up the floor.  O’Brien would do his best putting in a few baskets in the quarter but ultimately North Gem would suffer a tough loss 62-40.  The offense went dry for too many long periods of time in this one allowing the score to get away from them.  

After the tough loss North Gem would be sent to the consolation side of the bracket.  The automatic bid to state was now out of reach but their chances of qualifying were still alive.  The Cowboys would need to win out on the consolation bracket then win a play-in game.  It's a difficult path but attainable for this team.  The first step in that process would take place in Bancroft on Saturday night as the Cowboys hosted the Eagles from Taylors Crossing.  During the regular season the Cowboys won both matchups with the Eagles though they were tough battles.  This one would be a slugfest early on as both teams were clicking on offense.  With multiple threes by each team the hot first quarter would end with the Cowboys nursing a slim two point lead at 18-16.  In the second the offenses would sputter some and the Cowboys defense would do enough to hold the Eagles to just five points and the teams would head to the half with North Gem now leading 28-21.  More solid defense in the third and a big quarter from Hayden would have the Cowboys in control now leading 42-26.  In the fourth the offenses would  pick back up.  The outside shooting would heat up for the Eagles and they would try to make a run but the Cowboy offense would outpace them once again.  As the final buzzer sounded the Cowboys season would stay alive with a 64-41 victory.  With the win North Gem will advance to the consolation championship and face Leadore at home on the 21st.  Scoring for the Cowboys against the Eagles went as follows: O'Brien-19, Setser-16, Hayden-14, Yost-6, Jenkins-3, Perry-2, Hatch-2, Langrus-2.