Bears fall to Coyotes to open the Battle of Mardi Gras Tournament

Thursday, December 19, 2024: Men's Basketball
Mobile, AL

The Baton Rouge Bears faced off against the Coastal Alabama South Coyotes this evening to kick off the Bishop State Community College Battle of Mardi Gras Tournament. The first half was dominated by the Coyotes, but the Bears made a strong comeback midway through the second half. However, the Coyotes' strong presence in the paint ultimately led to the Bears' downfall. Coastal Alabama South pulled away late in the game, winning 107-98 at the Fredericka G Cultural Center.

In the first six minutes of the half, the Coyotes relied on three-point shots to build a twelve-point lead, 20-8. They maintained a consistent ten-point lead for the next five minutes until the Bears found a spark from their bench. Kialen Phillips, Imran Deen, and Dashaunte Cormier-Bellard spearheaded the comeback effort for the Bears. With 4:17 left in the first half, Christian Myers scored a two-point basket to bring the Bears within two points at 42-40. The Coyotes took a 55-49 lead into halftime, hitting ten of their twelve three-pointers in the first half.

In the second half, the Bears emerged from the locker room with renewed energy. For the first five minutes, the teams battled back and forth. The Bears tied the game at 64 when Dashaunte Cormier-Bellard drove to the basket and was fouled, with DJ converting two free throws. The Bears claimed their first lead when DJ Cormier assisted McKennis Savoie for an alley-oop dunk, making it 66-64 with 15:28 remaining. The Coyotes quickly equalized at 66 on their next possession.

Over the next six minutes, both teams traded baskets and leads, with neither team holding more than a three-point advantage. The Coyotes then shifted their strategy to exploit their interior presence, taking an 84-82 lead with 7:46 remaining. From that point on, the Coyotes outscored the Bears 23-16, sealing the victory at 107-98.

Stephen Williams led the Coyotes in scoring with a game-high 24 points, with six players scoring in double figures. The Bears were led by sophomore guard Kialen Phillips, who scored 21 points, while four Bears also reached double figures.

With this loss, the Bears fell to 5-6, while the Coyotes improved to 7-4 on the season. Coastal Alabama South now leads the all-time series against Baton Rouge with four wins and one loss.

Bears Highlights:
 Kialen Phillips led all Bears with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
 McKennis Savoie scored 17 points,with  3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.
 Christian Myers add 12 points, with 2 blocks, and 4 rebounds.
 Dashaunte Cormier-Bellard dished out 9 assists.

The Baton Rouge Bears will conclude the Bishop State Battle of Mardi Gras Tournament with a game against the host team, Bishop State, on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 7:30 PM.

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