Bobcats surge past Cardinals in high-scoring battle

The Summerland Bobcats secured a 71-62 victory over O’Neill St. Mary’s on Jan. 16 in a thrilling matchup at SMH. A barrage of three-point shooting in the first half set the tone, with Summerland burying eight triples while St. Mary’s countered with nine of their own.

Head coach Brett Kaczor said, “Our guys knew it was going to be a battle. We were able to get off to a really good start and match every run that St. Mary’s threw at us throughout the game.”

The Bobcats demonstrated efficiency across the board, hitting 15 of 19 free throws and connecting on 16 of 28 two-point attempts to stay ahead in the high-scoring contest.

“It was a game of different styles as St. Mary’s owned the outside (15 made 3’s to our eight), as we dominated the paint. Our free throw shooting was much better and helped us win that game,” Kaczor added.

Sam Cheatum powered Summerland with a dynamic all-around performance, recording 17 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Michael Koenig added a crucial 16 points, along with four boards and two steals. Preston Hoke contributed on both ends with 10 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

Parker Naper chipped in 12 points, while Alec Schindler and Carter Bergman added nine and seven points, respectively. Bergman also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists. AJ Hobbs made an impact on the boards with three rebounds.

For the Cardinals, Gage Hedstrom poured in 23 points to lead all scorers, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bobcats’ balanced attack.

The victory showcased Summerland’s ability to capitalize on their opportunities and maintain poise in a fast-paced contest.

Kaczor said his squad will have a “tough two-week stretch” as they are scheduled to play two C1 teams this week. The Bobcats were scheduled to travel to Boone Central on Tuesday, Jan. 21 and will host Pierce on Thursday.

“We’ll see wo really good teams next week, too,” the coach noted.