Bears drop opening game at Decari Markray Classic to Navarro College

Monday, November 25, 2025: Men's Basketball
Bossier City, LA

The Baton Rouge Bears faced off against the Navarro College Bulldogs in their opening-round game of the BPCC Decari Markray Classic this afternoon in Bossier City. This marked the second meeting between the Bears and the Bulldogs; in their only other encounter, the Bulldogs triumphed over the Bears with a score of 76-48. On Monday evening, the Bulldogs again claimed victory, defeating the Bears 84-74.

At the halfway mark of the first half, neither team had established a clear advantage, with Navarro holding a slim lead of 13-12 with 11:58 remaining. However, the Bulldogs found their offensive rhythm and closed out the final six minutes with a 14-11 scoring run, heading into halftime with a 42-34 lead.

The Bears struggled to find consistency on the offensive end throughout the game. The Bulldogs pulled away with 6:57 left, extending their lead to 17 points at 68-51. Although the Bears fought back and narrowed the gap to ten points twice in the final four minutes, they could not overcome the deficit, and the Navarro Bulldogs ultimately defeated the Baton Rouge Bears 84-74.

Awak Machar and Courtney McCarthy led the Bears in scoring with 18 points each. Jalen Griffith led the Bulldogs with 19 points. Both teams had three players who scored in double figures.

With this loss, the Bears' record dropped to 4-3 for the season, while the Bulldogs improved to 5-2.

Bears Highlights:
Awak Machar and Courtney McCarthy each scored 18 points to lead the Bears.
McKennis Savoie also added 18 points.
Chad Jones contributed 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

The Bears will conclude the BPCC Decari Markray Classic tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26, 2025, against the host Bossier Parish Community College Cavs at 1 PM in the Billy W. Montgomery Gymnasium.

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