Bobcats prevail in battle of unbeatens

In a hard-fought battle of unbeatens on Friday night, Summerland's boys' basketball team edged West Holt, 43-40, in a home contest that came down to the final moments.

Head coach Brett Kaczor praised his team's effort after securing back-to-back wins over challenging opponents.

"Coming out of the week with two wins over two really good opponents is a big success," Kaczor said. "We will focus on fine-tuning our offensive execution and shoot countless free throws as we prep for a busy week with three games. The schedule doesn't get any easier, but I know the guys will keep working to get better every day and strive to tidy up some things."

The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead, scoring a dozen points in the first quarter and limiting the Huskies to just seven. West Holt responded in the second, outscoring Summerland 11-9 to cut the halftime deficit to three. Both teams traded points in a tightly contested second half, with Summerland holding on in the final minutes to clinch the win.

Senior Sam Cheatum led the Bobcats with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and four steals. Cheatum's steady play, combined with critical contributions from his TeamMates, proved the difference.

Player statistics:

• Cheatum: 14p, 4r, 2a, 4s, 1to

• Preston Hoke: 12p, 3r, 3a, 2s, 4to

• Alec Schindler: 8p, 5r, 3a, 5s, 2bl

• Michael Koenig: 4p, 3r, 3a, 2s, 1to

• Carter Bergman: 2p, 3r, 1a, 1s

• Parker Napier: 3p, 1r, 1s, 1to

• AJ Hobbs: 1r, 1s, 1to

Summerland shot 44% from inside the arc, converting 14 of 32 two-point attempts, while hitting four of 16 from beyond the arc. Free-throw shooting was an area for improvement, as the team went just 3 of 8 from the line.

The Bobcats will face another challenging stretch ahead, with three games this week.