FMS Rockets cage Cougars

The FMS Rockets picked up their second win of the season on Monday in Chapel Hill, coming away with a 46-31 victory over the MTCS Cougars.

"The kids hustled tonight," said FHS head Coach Randy Toombs. "They played well on defense which caused the transition, we kept them pushed out and they wanted to get it down low to their big boy."

"But we just said you are going to have to throw it over top of some of our bigger guys and we are going to come out and guard you there and it worked."

Jacob Jones poured in a career high 19 points in the win as the Rockets gained control late in the first quarter and never trailed again in the contest.

Trailing 7-4 with 1:18 remaining in the first period, Forrest's Marshall McKee sandwiched two baskets around a Jeremy Woods bucket in a 6-0 quarter ending run to put the FHS squad up 10-7.

Forrest continued their scoring run into the second quarter as Dayton Ward pushed in a rebound for a basket, followed by a McKee bucket moments later for a 14-7 lead.

The FMS defense picked up the pace when Jones hit one of two free throws after swiping the rock from MTCS.

The Rockets held the Cougars scoreless until Steven Turnham drilled a three-pointer with less than a minute to play in the first half as the teams went to the locker room with Forrest leading 15-10.

A Parker Phillips bucket got the Cougars going early in the third quarter, but the Rockets answered as McKee and Jones combined for 12 of the Rockets' 14 points to end the quarter leading 29-23.

McKee nailed two free throws to start the final six minutes of play, but Taylor Garner scored for MTCS at the other end of the floor.

Tim Elliot got into the scoring column for FHS moments later before Nathan Smith scored for the Cougars to keep the FHS lead at six points, 33-27.

Over the next three minutes, two field goals by Jones bookended baskets by Austin Bailey and McKee as the Rockets opened up an insurmountable 41-27 lead.

Phillips ended the FHS run with a basket before Dustin Brashears knocked in jumper for Forrest to make it 43-29.

After an MTCS timeout with 2:26 to play, the Cougars coughed up the ball after the stoppage and Jarrett Patmore hit one of two from the free throw line for the Rockets to put the game away in the 15-point Forrest win.

"I think this was our best night so far for sure," said Toombs. "I still think we shot poorly, so we have something to look forward and we are just going to get a little better each game I hope."

McKee ended up with a dozen points, Brad Corder scored four points, while Bailey, Elliot, Ward, Woods, and Brashears all had two points apiece, and Patmore finished with the one successful free throw attempt.