By Ethan Rohrbaugh
Tribune Correspondent
KEYSER— The Potomac State Catamount basketball teams split a pair of games last night in Lough Gymnasium, as the women cruised to win number eight of their current winning streak in a 102-45 dismantling of CCAC-Boyce and the men fell 77-76 in a down-to-the-wire contest against CCBC-Beaver.
The Lady Cats came out red hot, knocking down their first seven attempts from beyond the three-point arch and jumped on top of Boyce early.
The scoreboard read 11-5 PSC when the Catamounts started on a 13 point run, and the buckets kept coming in bunches for the home squad.
At the intermission, Potomac was comfortably ahead, 60-16.
CCAC tried to cut into that enormous deficit with some good outside shooting at the start of the second half, but the Lady Cats would have none of it, as PSC continued on to a 102-45 victory.
Chelsea Holcomb led the way with 22 points in favor of the home team, and she was followed by three other Cats in double figures.
Brittany Skyles went for 13, while Erica Ford and Brenna Wright both had 11.
Potomac State’s men never let Beaver out of reach, but CCBC seemed to always find the answer to the Catamounts’ scoring, and more times than not, that answer was Deondre Terrell.
Terrell led the visitors with 23 points, with most of that coming on his game-high seven treys.
PSC’s first half lead melted away with a Justin Hosack three-ball to put Beaver ahead, 10-9.
CCBC would be on top by as much as 10 at one point, but the Cats kept finding ways to keep things close and at halftime, Beaver led 37-32.
Potomac started the second half with a 10-5 run to tie the contest at 42, and the next 15 minutes would go back and forth with neither team going up by more than four points.
With every bucket on one end, there would be an answer on the other and over those final 15 minutes, there would be 10 ties and eight lead changes.
Darrell Patterson gave his Catamounts the lead on a three-ball from the wing with just two minutes to play, but just like many times before, Terrell had the three to match.
Terrell struck for his final points with a three pointer on the very next possession, giving Beaver a 75-72 lead with just under a minute remaining.
Potomac State made it a one-point game with a two in the paint, but CCBC quickly answered that with an inside two of their own.
With just six seconds to play, Jordan Brooks connected on a runner to close the gap to within a point once more, and a quick foul had Beaver on the line with just under five seconds remaining.
CCBC couldn’t sink the front end of the one-and-one, but were able to grab the rebound and have another chance to win it with a free throw.
With just three ticks on the clock, Beaver drew iron again, but the Catamounts just couldn’t get a good shot off to beat the buzzer, and the visitors narrowly escaped, 77-76.
Jordan Brooks had the high-point game with 32 for the Cats, and Darrell Patterson also reached double digit scoring with 14 points.
Both the Catamount men (7-14) and women (12-7) will be in action this Saturday at home against CCAC-Allegheny with the women tipping off at noon and the men following at two o’clock.
The games will be preceded by an “indoor tailgate” at 11 a.m. in the Davis Conference Center.
During those games, PSC will be honoring the 1984-85 men’s basketball team; the Catamounts posted a record of 22-4 that season.
