Cougars Suffer Loss to Skipjacks 97-79

The Frederick CC Cougars men's basketball team suffered their third defeat of the season at the hands of the Chesapeake College Skipjacks in Wednesday's matchup on the road with a final score of 97-79. 

The Cougars sprinted out of the gate, establishing a 9-2 lead within the first two and a half minutes. However, the Skipjacks responded with a 9-2 run of their own in the same timeframe. The first half unfolded as a closely contested battle, and with about three minutes remaining, Frederick found themselves trailing by 10 points—the Skipjacks' largest lead of the half. Nevertheless, the Cougars began to find their rhythm.

Terrell Neal ignited the Cougars' resurgence with a drive to the basket. Drawing a foul, he not only scored but also sank the following free throw, contributing three of his first-half 8 points. A 12-4 run, punctuated by a successful free throw from Richard Burke, closed out the half. Burke attacked the basket, scored, and drew a foul, shrinking the deficit to two points at halftime with a score of 43-41.

The second half saw the Skipjacks outshooting the Cougars, hitting 62% of their shots compared to FCC's 42%. Despite this, the Cougars excelled on the free-throw line, boasting an 82% success rate (19 for 23). Terrell Neal continued his impressive performance, scoring 14 points for the third consecutive game and securing his first double-double with ten rebounds. Justin Morrisey and Jaden Arrington led the Cougars offensively with 19 points each, while Will Rodriguez contributed 7 points.

Looking ahead, the Cougars will embark on another road trip to face the Community College of Beaver County Titans on Saturday, December 2, at 3 pm.