By Malcolm Butler
It was a tough night on the hardwood for the Ruston Bearcats Friday as the state’s No. 2 team fell for the second time this year to Ouachita, losing 62-52 at the Madhouse on Millhaven in Monroe.
After leading by four at the half, Ruston (22-3, 5-2) saw the Lions (17-9, 6-1) dominate the third quarter and then hold off any form of a Bearcats comeback over the final eight minutes of play.
Ruston coach Ryan Bond pinpointed one major component in Friday night’s loss.
“Toughness,” said Bond when asked in the difference between the two halves of basketball. “Toughness. You know we have a lot of nice guys, but Ouachita just out-toughed us. They out-toughed us at the end of the game at our place. They out-toughed us at the start of the third quarter tonight. They just out-toughed us.
“It’s as simple as that. Are we going to be tough enough? Are we going to go rebound? Or are we going to let Ouachita go rebound? We gave up so many second chance opportunities. No transition defense. Toughness is also on the offensive end. Finishing around the rim with contact.”
Behind the outside shooting of guard Aiden Anding who connected on four first half three-pointers (a total of six in the game), the Bearcats led for the majority of the first two quarters, taking a 25-21 lead into the halftime locker room. The Bearcats defense was also solid in the opening 16 minutes of action, holding the Lions to a mere 21 points.
However, all of that changed in the third quarter. The Lions came out of the gate swinging and outscored the Bearcats 24-11 to take a 45-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
“We gave up 24 points in the third quarter,” said Bond. “It’s simply unacceptable if we have all these aspirations of doing something special in the playoffs. You can’t do that. You will lose in the first round. We have to be tougher.”
As the game wore on, the Bearcats had less and less success in the paint. Ruston hit eight three-pointers, but seemed to be hesitant to take the ball to the basket as strong as their head coach expected.
“(Ouachita) had a couple of blocks early,” said Bond. “But you want to keep attacking the rim. You want to attack their best offensive guy and not rest on the defensive end. We just settled. Aiden was hitting early. I’m okay with Aiden shooting as many outside jumpers as he wants to because he is a consistent shooter. But the rest of the guys we were stressing to get it inside, get it inside, get it inside. But guys didn’t want to because it’s a lot more physical in there as opposed to 20 feet from the basket.”
With their shots not falling at a high enough percentage, the Bearcats weren’t able to get many freebies either. Ruston didn’t attempt its first free throw until the 5:32 mark of the fourth quarter and was just 2-of-4 at the charity stripe on the night. However, Bond wasn’t going to blame officiating.
“I heard a lot of people say the referees, referees, referees,” Bond said. “I thought the referees were fairly consistent. I wouldn’t bail us out either if we start the second half with leaping leaners as Jim Woolridge used to call them. Off one leg, leaning, falling away. That’s not something that we work on (in practice). As a referee I am not going to bail you out either. It’s simple toughness.”
Anding led the Bearcats with 18 points while Lonnie Dimmer added 14 points.
Ouachita was led by Jonathan Bradshaw with 24 points.
“We have played Ouachita eight quarters, and I feel like we have outplayed them for six of those,” said Bond. “We just really, really laid a big fat egg in two quarters. And that’s the way I’m going to spin it. We have to battle through out.
“I challenged them in the locker room that we have to be ready for Pineville because Pineville just beat Ouachita and Ouachita beat us pretty easily.”
Ruston will host Pineville Tuesday night.
