Wildcats fall to Poplar 73-64

The Harlem Wildcats made the trek east to Poplar to take on the Indians in a District 2B Clash this past Saturday. The Wildcats have been fun to watch early on and were so again this weekend. Poplar, however, took the first meeting of the season 73-64.

Poplar took control early on, racing out to a 22-10 lead at the end of eight minutes of action. Senior Moses Lawrence scored six in the opening frame while sophomore Cody McCabe added four. The Wildcats won the second quarter 18-12 to cut the Indian lead to 34-28 at the break. McCabe connected from beyond the arc and scored 11 more in the second to ignite the Wildcat rally.

Poplar caught fire again coming out to start the third quarter, pushing the lead to 56-43 entering the fourth quarter. McCabe added six more to his total in the third quarter, while senior Tommy Champagne knocked down a triple and scored five. The fourth quarter saw Poplar maintain their advantage down the stretch in securing a 73-64 win over the Wildcats.

McCabe finished with 23 points to lead the Wildcats on the night. Lawrence added 13, sophomore Eric Snell added 11, all coming in the fourth quarter, while Champagne added ten to the Wildcat total. The Wildcats’ scheduled contest with the Hays/Lodge Pole Thunderbirds on Tuesday has been rescheduled for January 2, 2024.