Bears season ends in Region XXIII Quarterfinals to Jones College

Photo Courtesy of Jones College

Monday, March 10, 2025: Men's Basketball

Ellisville, MS

The Baton Rouge Bears faced the #1 seed, Jones College Bobcats, in the Region XXIII quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Similar to last season, the Bobcats ended the Bears' run with an 87-70 victory.

In the first five minutes of the game, the Bobcats jumped to an early lead, but the Bears rallied behind Courtney McCarthy and Kialen Phillips to tie the game at 13. The Bobcats regained the lead with a three-pointer, making it 16-13. Awak Machar then scored the next seven points for the Bears, giving them a 20-16 lead with 11:43 left in the half. The Bears extended their lead to six points, 27-21, following another bucket from Machar with 10:11 remaining. The Bobcats fought back, tying the game at 31 with 7:44 on the clock. The next four minutes featured two more ties and two lead changes. After the game was tied at 39, the Bobcats closed out the half with a 7-2 run, taking a five-point advantage into halftime at 44-39.

During halftime, Bears head coach Byron Starks encouraged his team to maintain their effort and increase defensive pressure to limit the Bobcats' three-point shooting, as they had shot 43% from behind the arc in the first half.

In the second half, the Bobcats adjusted their strategy, focusing on inside plays rather than outside shots. With just over 16 minutes left to play, Jones established a four-point lead at 55-51. The Bears responded, narrowing the gap to two points at 55-53 on an Imran Deen dunk with 15:24 remaining. However, the Bobcats then went on a 12-4 run, extending their lead to double digits at 67-57 with 12 minutes left. They maintained their offensive momentum, ultimately building a 17-point lead with under four minutes to go. The Bears fought valiantly until the end, but it wasn't enough, and the #1 seed Jones College Bobcats emerged victorious with a final score of 87-70.

Bears Highlights:

Awak Machar led the Bears with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. 

Courtney McCarthy matched Machar's scoring with 21 points, along with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. 

Imran Deen contributed with 5 rebounds and 4 blocks. 

Kialen Phillips added 13 points and 6 rebounds. 

With this loss, the Bears conclude their season with a record of 20-9, marking the first time in program history that the Bears have won 20 games in a season. The defeat also ended the Bears' record-setting 14-game winning streak. The Bobcats improved to 28-3 and advance to the semifinals of the Region XXIII tournament, where they will face the winner of the matchup between Hinds and Northeast Mississippi.

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