Readies for 52nd Annual World Tournament

The FMS basketball squads finished their regular season schedule on Monday night in Chapel Hill in fine fashion, sweeping MTCS as the Lady Rockets opened up the twin bill with a 35-20 win, followed by a gut-wrenching 37-34 triumph by the Rockets.

The Lady Rockets trailed 5-4 early before picking up the defensive pressure that sparked a 10-0 run, capped off by a three-point play in the paint by Katey Harmon.

The Lady Cougars fought back, slicing the FMS lead to four points at 14-10 after a Sarah Cox bucket with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Jordan Yelensky, who had already scored four points in the stanza and was all over the gym on defense was fouled with 8.1 ticks left on the clock.

After draining the first free throw, Yelensky missed the second, but Caitlin McKenzie grabbed the rebound and tossed the ball out to Emma Stacey, who drilled a buzzer beating three-pointer, making it 18-10 Forrest.

'Big Mo'

The Lady Rockets carried the momentum into period number two, stretching the lead to eleven points at 21-10 on a Yelensky free throw and a Harmon put-back before MTCS stayed in the game, thanks to a 6-1 run to end the first half.

McKenzie kicked off the scoring in the third quarter and Stacey scored on a rebound and put-back moments later, re-opening the double-digit lead for Forrest at 26-16.

Abbey Hageman netted the lone bucket for the Lady Cougars with 1:55 remaining in the period before Madison Curtis scored late, sending FHS to the fourth quarter with a 28-18 lead.

Stingy 'D'

The Lady Rockets would not give up their stinginess, once again holding MTCS to a lone basket late in the final period, while scoring seven to win by the comfortable five-point margin and sweep the season series over the Lady Cougars.

Yelensky and Harmon both scored eight points in the contest.

Curtis and Stacey added seven points apiece, while Caitlin McKenzie and Stevie Ray each inked a deuce, and Deavin Myatt rounded out the scoring with a single free throw made.

Alex Nelson had seven points to lead the Lady Cougars.

Rockets win nail-biter

The FMS were looking for some revenge in the nightcap, still stinging from an early season loss to the Cougars in Murfreesboro and Monday's contest was a close quarter battle throughout.

Jacob Rich sparked the Rockets to an early 4-2 lead and Ty Hengesbach made it 7-2 when he buried a three-pointer in front of the MTCS bench.

Rich scored again after a Cougar missed shot, making it 9-2 before a single free throw by Steven Turnham ended the Forrest run.

Daniil Yatskov scored in the paint for the Rockets to extend the FHS lead to 11-2, forcing a Cougar timeout with 2:42 remaining in the first quarter.

After the stoppage, MTCS took off on a 10-0 surge, capped off by a long Turnham three-bomb, giving the visitors a 12-11 lead and forcing a Forrest timeout with 1:20 left.

Yatskov scored out of the timeout for the Rockets, but two free throws by Nate Howell ended the scoring in the stanza with the Cougars holding a one-point 14-13 lead.

Jared Keiser opened the second period scoring with a single foul shot for MTCS before Josh Brown gave the Rockets the lead with a tough three-point play in the post.

Dylan Jones scored in the paint moments later for the Rockets before Evan Alford matched the Jones tally with a one-handed runner in the lane, slicing the FHS lead to 18-17.

Rich went to work again, scoring four straight and Alex Huey added a rebound and put-back, extending the FHS margin to 24-17.

The Cougars managed to go to the halftime break down just three points at 24-21 on late baskets by Alford and Dylan Green.

Rockets surge

Jones opened up the second half scoring when he took a pretty pass from Hengesbach and knocked down a short jumper off the window.

Turnham came up with a basket for the Cougars, making it 26-23 before Huey went downtown to push the Forrest lead to a half dozen points.

Grant Pickard countered with a bucket for the Cougars, but Brown scored in the lane for the Rockets to cap off the third quarter scoring with the Rockets holding a 31-25 lead, entering the final six minutes of hard court action.

Cougars come back

When Rich hit the front end of a one and one at the outset of the fourth quarter, FMS sported a seven-point lead at 32-25 before MTCS caught fire, putting up a 7-0 run to tie the game at 32 with 1:46 remaining in the contest.

The Rockets called timeout after Howell's two free throws tied the contest and the whiteboard play in the FHS huddle was designed to get the ball to Jones in the low post, and the plan worked to perfection as Hengesbach dished to Jones, who knocked down a short turnaround 'J', making 34-32.

After an MTCS miss, Rich knocked down a pair of pressure three throws for Forrest, but Alford did the same at the other end for the Cougars with 49.4 seconds remaining in the game.

Pressure packed

Rich came up huge again from the charity stripe, knocking in one of two attempts with 35.3 seconds left to edge FHS in front 37-34.

Both teams exchanged missed shots before the Cougars got the ball back and called timeout with 15.2 seconds remaining.

MTCS could not convert out of the stoppage and the Rockets escaped with the three-point win, heading into Monday's first round of the 52nd Annual World Tournament at Forrest.

Rich led all scorers in the contest with 14 points, while Jones had six, Brown and Huey added five points apiece, and Hengesbach netted three.

Turnham led the Cougars with 13 points and Alford was also in double figures with 11.