On Saturday, December 10, 2023, the Thayer Bobcats went up against the Cedar Ridge Timberwolves in the championship game of the Mark Martin/Lyon College Tournament in Batesville, Arkansas. The Bobcats won 58-41.
Evenly Matched
The Timberwolves started off with a bang, keeping the lead for several minutes. With a little over two minutes to go in the first quarter, Thayer finally took the lead 11-8. During the whole first quarter, both teams kept on turning over the ball. The score at the end of the first quarter was 18-13, with Thayer in the lead.
The Gap Widens
To start off the second quarter, Thayer had the ball. One of the Cedar Ridge players stole the ball, but Mark Spencer (#5 for Bobcats) quickly got it back. Spencer missed the shot, but it was still Thayer’s ball. Rowan Spencer (#2 for Bobcats) made a nice three-pointer to make the score 21-13.
While Cedar Ridge made several three-pointers in the first quarter, they just couldn’t seem to find the basket in the second quarter. Rowan Spencer was key for the Bobcats during the second quarter, making 13 points for the team. The score at halftime was 39-21, with Thayer still in the lead.
Second Half
The Bobcats continued to score during the third quarter, lengthening the lead to 23 points. With just over four minutes left in the game, the Timberwolves made several nice shots, including two back-to-back three-pointers. The final score was 58-43, with Thayer winning the game.
Awards
Among three other players, Rowan Spencer was named to the All-Tournament Team. Aidan Burns was named Most Valuable Player for the boys’ tournament. Coach Matt Pitts was given the 2023 Boys Coach Award.
