On February 20, 2024 the Judson Rockets Boys Basketball got the win against the Clark Cougars in the first round of playoffs.
The game began with an intensity only playoff basketball can bring, with both teams playing physically. Though the Rockets got off to a slow offensive start, their defense brought the heat. The Rockets did their best to disrupt the passing lanes of Clark through extra long possessions before they headed into the second quarter with an 11-10 lead over the Cougars.
In the second, the Rockets ran into some trouble with the Cougars running them off the three-point line. So they started to pass the ball inside and get out in transition to score. Through well-timed putbacks by Junior Ivan Dorn and some ball movement by the Rockets to get open shots, they went into halftime up 23-19.
In the third, the Rockets were finally able to get into a rhythm from the three-point line, but the Cougars were able to get to the free-throw line and got within three. The Rockets followed this effort by going on a run to go up 35-26 and forced the Cougars to call a timeout. The Rockets had big offensive plays but what stood out was their battle to get offensive rebounds and score second-chance points. The Cougars countered with a mini-run of their own, but the quarter ended 31-37 Rockets on top.
The Rockets made their presence known early in the fourth quarter even though the Cougars just wouldn’t go away and managed to keep the game interesting late into the fourth. With a mere 21 seconds left, the Cougars worked to stop the clock by fouling the Rockets. Favela made a pair of clutch free throws to put the Rockets up 49-52; the Cougars got the ball back but managed to turn the ball over trying to score. The Rockets won the game 51-57 and moved on to the next round of playoffs. The Rockets will play the Stony Point Tigers on Thursday, February 22. Come out and show your support!