By Kyle Roberts
EL DORADO, Ark. — It’s been all road games for the Ruston High Bearcats (0-4) to start the season, but Bearcat Assistant Coach Corey Deans is only looking at the positives for a battled-tested Ruston team that is still early in the season.
“These kids are getting quality game time experience,” Deans said following Ruston’s 62-52 loss to El Dorado High School. “They’re playing out-of-state games and against tough teams that are state championship caliber teams. So I’m still excited. The more we’re getting beat up right now, the more we’re learning and the better we’ll be down the road.”
The Bearcats took a 25-22 lead into the halftime locker room against the Wildcats Thursday before getting outscored 40-27 in the second half. Deans said that a large part was El Dorado’s adjustments on defense to press Ruston was a major factor in the loss.
“We had a lead going into half time, but they started pressing us in the second half, and I think we ran out of gas again,” Deans said. “We had three guys who scored in double-figures, and we tried to press in the fourth quarter, but we had no legs at that point. Guys were cramping, and they just went by some of our young guys.
“We still need to learn how to close out quarters,” Deans said. “I don’t think we did a good job on getting back and running our sets. I used all my time outs — I didn’t have any to take home with me. We were rushing and taking quick shots, and then we were back on defense again.”
Sophomore Keshun Malcolm again led Ruston in scoring with 21 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Juniors Mason Delaney and Zaterrion Sutton both finished with 14 points apiece on the night.
Malcolm scored eight of Ruston’s first quarter points, while Delaney scored nine through the first half. Sutton scored the majority of his points in the second half with nine. Malcolm then went on to score 16 second-half points, hitting two threes in the fourth quarter.
Malcolm and Sutton hit all five of Ruston’s three-pointers between the two of them.
The Wildcats’ D. Mitchell and C. Williams both scored 14 points to lead El Dorado.
Ruston returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 10, by traveling Parkview High School in Little Rock, Ark.
Bearcat Scoring FG(3FG)-FT-TP
Zaterrion Sutton 6(2) = 14
Jackson Murry
Eric Lewis
Branson Perry
Jasen Morgan 1 – 1-1 = 3
Keshun Malcolm 8(3) 2-3 = 21
C.J. Malone
Cam Tims
Mason Delaney 6 – 2-2 = 14
Xaiden Wilson
Phillip Ingram
Score by quarter
Ruston 15 + 10 + 12 + 15 = 52
El Dorado 12 + 10 + 19 + 21 = 62
