Bakersfield Lions improve to 3–1 with gritty wins over Alton and Kennett last week
Photo by Karla Smith Bakersfield Lions Members of the Bakersfield Lions basketball team are, from left, (front row) Alex Helm, Russ Lovins, Tyler Hodgson, Brooks Amburgy, Ty Cotter, Eli Cotter; (middle row) Bryer Neal, Aaron Giger, Luke Bean, Easton Shrable, Traityn Lovins, Gavin Hensley, Mason Mahan, Brighton Jarvis; (back row) Tucker Keith, Paxton Cotter, Seth Montague, Hayden Sanders and Isaac Luna.
The Bakersfield Lions pushed their season record to 3–1 after a pair of hard-fought victories, including a 70–65 road win over Alton on Thursday and a come-from-behind 57–49 triumph over Kennett at the Current River Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 29.
Against Alton, the Lions’ offense clicked early and often. Eli Cotter powered the attack with a dominant double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Ty Cotter added 14 points, while Hayden Sanders and Isaac Luna chipped in 10 apiece to help secure the five-point win.
Bakersfield had to show even more toughness two nights later against Kennett. Trailing by as many as 10 late in the third quarter, the Lions mounted a determined rally, outscoring Kennett down the stretch to seal a 57–49 victory. Ty Cotter led the comeback with 18 points, and Eli Cotter followed with 14.
Bakersfield Head Coach Cainen McGinnis said he likes what he’s seeing from his young squad.
“This season is off to a great start as we are 3–1 heading into our game against Gainesville on Thursday,” McGinnis said. “We have a very talented group of young guys (I even consider our two seniors as young guys) as we only bring back junior Ty Cotter and junior Eli Cotter from last season’s team. We have guys who are bought in and just want to win.
“I think what’s special about this group is how balanced we are. We have proven already in just a few games this season that our scoring can be very spread out and any guy can lead us in scoring any night. I think that makes it hard for opposing coaches to scout and prep for us.”
McGinnis added that the Lions’ contributions extend far beyond the box score.
“We also have guys that will lead us in many other areas that don’t get talked about a whole lot such as rebounds, assists, steals, deflections—guys who take pride in diving on the floor and getting 50/50 balls or being able to guard the opposing team’s best player,” he said. “Every single guy brings something to the table and it makes it very fun to coach.”
The Lions will look to keep their momentum rolling when they face Gainesville at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4.