Bobcats Fall at the Buzzer to Mojo

The Bobcats came out of the gates well in the 1st quarter. Both defenses locked each other down as Central held a 10-7 advantage headed to the 2nd. Permian outscored the Bobcats 14-13 in the 2nd quarter, but the 'Cats still held a 2-point advantage headed to the locker room.

In the 3rd quarter, the Cats cooled off on offense. There were opportunities to score, but the ball never seemed to roll Central's way. Permian took advantage of the "no shot clock" rule in high school basketball and held the ball on offense every possession until the 'Cats were forced to play their game. While not a popular decision with the fans, Permians' coach implemented an effective strategy that forced Central to clear out the middle of their defense. The Panthers scored several baskets in this fashion to take a 33-29 lead headed to the 4th quarter.

Into the 4th quarter, these two rivals went, battling it out to see who would claim victory on the night. That's when controversy struck. Central's TK Taylor made a beautiful play inside that saw the Bobcat dunk the basketball around a crowded rim. With players around his feet, Taylor did not release the rim right away. Instead, he held onto the rim and even pulled himself slightly up. Like it or not, that's apparently grounds for an automatic technical foul, and the referees made that call.

Understandably, the Central bench erupted in protest, but apparently, the referees did not like that reaction either. A second technical foul was assessed against the 'Cats for that outburst. Already trailing in the 4th quarter, these two game-changing decisions that had absolutely nothing to do with the action happening on the court or what makes either of these two teams better than the other put the Bobcats behind the ball.

Permian made two of the four free throws and received an extra possession to take a four point lead with less than six minutes to play.

The Bobcats responded beautifully to the adversity. Several defensive stops, baskets, and a 3-point shot by Ean McNeil put the 'Cats up 39-38 minutes later. It then became a dog fight until the end, with the score tied 47-47 with less than 15 seconds to play. Christian English dribbled up the court as time drained away and put up a floater that would have given the Bobcats the lead. However, once again, another call was made. English was called for a charge in the final seconds, giving Permian one last gasp. The Panthers sprinted down the floor and managed to put up a shot as time expired.

The ball fell into the basket, and the Panthers' celebration began. Permian claimed victory 49-47.

While the Bobcats had plenty of opportunities to put this contest away before the controversial calls were made, the adversity that keeps happening seems about par for the course for the 'Cats this season. Despite being on the wrong end of many of these situations, Central continues to fight. The 'Cats never genuinely felt like they were out of this contest, even when the Panthers took a big lead. This toughness bodes well for Central as the end of the regular season nears and the playoffs approach. However, the Bobcats now have to take care of business against the two Midland schools to ensure a playoff berth.

Central returns to action on Friday, February 7, when the 'Cats head to Midland to face off with the Legacy Rebels. Tip-off in that matchup is set for 7:30 p.m.