Men's Basketball Wins Second Straight Game
Back-to-Back Home Victories for Cougars
(Holyoke, MA) - The Cougars men's basketball team has truly hit their stride in early February, winning their second straight game on Tuesday evening. The Cougar's 98-83 home victory over regional opponent Northern Essex CC comes just three days after Holyoke picked up their first win of the year. HCC's 98 points in the game is the most they have scored in a contest this season. The red-hot Cougars are playing to their full potential and are a perfect 2-0 in the month of February.
Chevron Ownes-Cote (Chicopee, MA / Chicopee HS), who recently returned from injury, has given the Cougars a full squad of players and allowed Holyoke to put forth their strongest lineup over the past couple of games. Ownes-Cote was dominant in Tuesday's win, registering a double-double while shooting 80% from the floor. He scored 24 points while bringing down ten rebounds. Jequan Rogers, who has been absolutely brilliant since joining the team for the spring semester, had a triple-double in the win. Rogers matched his teammate's 24 points and ten rebounds and also tallied ten assists. Sam Monette (Springfield, MA / Hampden Charter) played another stellar game, as he has all season, scoring 22 points in the victory. Fifteen of Monette's points came from three-point range as he shot 5 of 8 from outside the arc.
The Cougars have played well in recent weeks and carry their two-game winning streak into the final stretch of the season. Holyoke plays away on Thursday and then will host a trio of games at the Bartley Center to close out their season. The Cougars welcome Roxbury CC on Saturday, February 9th at 3pm followed by UCONN Avery Point Monday, February 11th at 7pm. In the finale, the Cougars host Ben Franklin Institute on Tuesday, February 12th at 7:30pm. Let's go Cougars!
Photos: (Main) Owens-Cote takes a foul shot. (Thumbnail) Monette (#15), Rodgers (#3) and teammate Connor Sliwa (R) play strong defense against Northern Essex.
