Cowboys Look To Pick Up Where They Left Off

Warner, OK- By all standards, the first half of the basketball season for the Connors State Cowboys was successful. and now with the second half underway, Cowboys' Hall of Fame coach Bill Muse paused to recap and look ahead to what could be another trip, his 15th, to the NJCAA National Tournament in March.

"I think it was a really successful first half," said Muse. "We stubbed our toe in a game in Texas (a 104-101 loss to Dallas Eastfield) where we tried to outscore them and got away from one of our main principles-play good defense. But we're 13-1 and while the competition might not have been top notch every night, we did play some good college teams along the way."

That list included wins against Independence and Neosho County College in Kansas and South Arkansas Community and the University of Arkansas-Cossatot. Connors has averaged nearly 100 points a game during this stretch and has five players averaging double figures including highly touted sophomore Bradyn Hubbard who is third in the nation averaging 26.4 points a game.

As Connors returns to action one of the critical aspects that Muse will focus on is depth. The Cowboys had two of their big bodies out of action for all or part of the semester in Dannon Lundy (6-6, 214) who suffered a wrist injury midway through the semester and Saiyd Burnside (6-9, 230) who had stress fracture that kept him benched for most of the first half. If those two are fit and ready to go after the break, it will be a big plus for the Cowboys as they start conference play.

"NEO will be strong. They recruit a lot of prep school players and have turned their roster over and they have a big center (Javarzia Belton) who has committed to play D-1 ball. (Northern)-Tonkawa with (former Muskogee Rougher Javontae) Campbell playing strong will challenge a lot of people and Western with the twins (Chang and Jack Hoth) who have both committed to play D-1."

The Cowboys began the second half of the season Monday with a trip to Altus to take on the aforementioned Pioneers and came away with a 109-103 victory. The Hoth twins combined for 44 points but with Hubbard in foul trouble most of the game, the Cowboy guards came through with Cooper back in action scoring 21 points followed by Tony Green Jr. with 20 and Ty Frierson with 18 points.

Connors State returns to the friendly confines of Melvin Self Fieldhouse tonight hosting defending Region 2 champ Seminole. The women tip at 5:30 p.m. and the men at 7:30 p.m.