LOCKHART — The Columbus High School boys basketball team escaped with a close win vs Randolph High School at Lockhart ISD Gym Feb. 21 by a final score of 57-55. Columbus had control for most of the game and Randolph slowly but surely creeped back in the contest. The Cardinals gritty performance down the stretch led them to the win. “We know basketball’s a game of runs,” said Columbus interim head boys basketball coach Lowell Narcisse. Cardinals head coach Troy Bohac missed the game due to an illness.
“We had our runs early, some in the third quarter, and they had their runs late. Just a matter of miscommunication, kind of getting things cleaned up, so we’ll get back to the drawing board.”
Columbus junior forward Trevor Berger tallied 27 points and was a force to be reckoned with throughout the entire match with his shot-making. “I just like bringing the energy and everything,” Berger said. “Just helping my teammates any way I can.
That’s how we got to do battle and that’s what it takes to win the game.”
The Cardinals started the outing with a 5-0 lead on a layup and three-pointer from senior guard Colton Pitchford. Randolph quickly tied the game at five with a free throw, layup, and a floater at the 6:04 mark in the first quar ter. Columbus then made it 18-8 with four more points from Berger and a three from Pitchford a few minutes later to go along with a layup. The Ro-Hawks would climb back to a two-point deficit and end the quarter at 21- 19 with a couple layups and a three-pointer.
Columbus held Randolph to only three points in the second quarter while the Cardinals had a double-digit period with a bunch of layups, some free throws, and a three-pointer from sophomore guard Camdon Pitchford to take a 36-22 lead at halftime.
Columbus maintained their nice cushion in the third quarter and had a lead as big as 19 points with just under two minutes to go. This was due to some layups and a couple free throws.
Randolph was able to minimize the damage with a bunch of free throws and a three-pointer at the 22-second mark result in a 45-34 scoreboard in favor of Columbus at the end of the third quarter.
After a three in the corner from Camdon Pitchford at about the six minute mark to make it 50-40, the Ro-Hawks made a three in the corner of their own with 5:15 to go from shooting guard Michael Brown for a 50-- 45 scoreboard. The two teams proceeded to go back and forth with big-time baskets in crunch time before Brown was awarded with shooter’s roll on a shot from the top of the key at the 53 second mark to make it 57-55. A few good looks from Randolph near the rim in the final seconds were unsuccessful and Columbus snuck by with a 57-55 victory.
