Cougars sneak by Saffron Walden in Cambs league

Cougars managed to hold on in overtime to defeat Saffron Walden in a Cambs league game on 11 December. Cougars started well behind some fine shooting from Dean Murden, who scored 14 points (including 4 three pointers) in the first quarter. The lead was 22-6 after the first period, and Cougars followed that with 13 straight points to start the second quarter, putting them up by 35-6 with 2 minutes left in the half. It was then that the wheels came off Cougars effort in dramatic fashion, with Saffron Walden going on a 27-1 run over the next 10 minutes. Cougars struggled to cope with Saffron Walden's match up zone, and were unable to get the ball inside, settling instead for pressured outside shots. Two baskets to end the third quarter, and two more at the beginning of the fourth put Cougars up 44-33 with eight minutes left in the game, but they were to be Cougars last points in regulation time. Saffron Walden kept chipping away at Cougars lead and were down 44-43 going into the last minute. A succession of Saffron Walden fouls eventually put Haluk Acar on the line with two and half seconds left and the game seemingly in the bag for Cougars. However after both free throws missed Ben Dowling decided to try and snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory by fouling Saffron Walden's rebounder while he was still 85 feet from the hoop. Given Cougars were in the bonus that meant two Saffron Walden free throws. Luckily for Cougars the first shot missed, but the second dropped to force overtime. A stunned Cougars team dropped behind in the overtime period before Clemont Erhard came to Cougars rescue with two straight baskets in the final minute to put Cougars up 52-50, which is where it ended. Deam Murden led the scoring with 16 points, followed by Ollie Unwin with 13, Cameron Fehr with 9, Ben Dowling 8, Clemont Erhard 4, and Raf Kleszko with 2.