Close Wins Push CHS Boys to Top of 1A Trico League

The Bruins raised their record to 2-0 last Friday with a 66-64 victory over Seton Prep, in Miller Gym.

It was Columbia’s sixth win in a row and made its overall record 8-2 at the mid-way point of the season.

Senior Jonathan Douthit paced the Bruins with 19 points. Senior William Gross added 16, and senior Lewie Rowlen chipped in 15. Jun-ior Oscar Kirkwood finished with eight.

The visiting Cougars held a 16-15 lead after one quarter of back-and-forth basketball.

CHS turned the tables in the second quarter, overcoming a 22-17 deficit with an 8-point run that put it on top, 25-22. The Bruins subsequently led 31-24 before the Cougars scored six straight to close out the half down 31-30.

The early moments of the third quarter favored the Cougars. They held a 44-35 lead with 5:35 remaining in the period before the Bruins called timeout to gather their forces for another run.

After the timeout, Kirk-wood scored on a putback to start a 14-2 rally.

Gross scored 10 of Colum-bia’s last 12 points in the quarter to help it secure a 49-46 lead entering the final eight minutes of action.

Early in the fourth, Seton mounted a comeback that saw it regain the lead at 52-51 with a pair of free throws with 5:53 left.

The Bruins reclaimed the lead at 53-52 when Kirk-wood laid one in off an assist from Gross.

Seton’s last hurrah came with just under 1:30 to play, on a putback that tied the game at 57-all.

Rowlen took over after that, getting to the foul line on three consecutive possessions, for 1-and-1 chances.

He converted all six foul shots, starting with the first pair at the 1:11 mark and ending with a third pair with 34 seconds to go. The freebies helped CHS maintain its lead at 4 points.

The closest Seton got the rest of the way was 63-62 on a 3-pointer with about 10 second remaining.

On the ensuing inbounds, Seton fouled Gross in the back-court; an official ruled it an intentional foul.

Gross stepped to the line in the double bonus with 8 second left and sank both attempts to push CHS’s lead to 65-62, with the ball.

Seton fouled again with 5 seconds on the clock. This time, Gross made 1 of 2 at the line to give CHS a two-possession lead at 66-62.

Columbia 47, at Castle Rock 46: Jonathan Douthit scored 16 points and Willi-am Gross had 14 in the Jan. 3 victory.

The Rockets led by 10 in the second half, but couldn’t put the Bruins away. In-stead, Castle Rock turned the ball over on 10 straight possessions and CHS ex-ploited them, taking a 41-37 lead.

Down 47-46 inside a minute, Castle Rock had late chances but couldn’t cash in.