LAURINBURG —After an abysmal loss to the Lumberton Pirates, 66-45, on Tuesday, in which senior Zaymon Gibson, the Scots’ leading scorer, was held to nine points, Fighting Scots head coach Jarvis Cobb has the team focused on a bigger prize: the playoffs.
Cobb has given this team the most wins (10) and a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in two years. With three games remaining this season, everything remains in front of Scotland.
“I will be content with winning the next two games to put ourselves in position for the playoffs,” Cobb said. “I want to double the win total the team had last year. As a first-year head coach, reaching the playoffs and winning double-digit games—that’s a successful season.”
It’s been a long road for Scotland. Having faced their fair share of adversity, it hasn’t been easy. Transitioning from a team that once had a full roster to one that now has to rely on junior varsity players due to varsity players being ineligible and off-the-court issues has been challenging.
In Tuesday’s defeat, the Scots led 28-27 at halftime over the No. 1 team in the conference. In the second half, Lumberton played with a different tenacity. Cobb told reporters after the game that the team “quit” once doubt crept in.
“We quit once [Lumberton] went on a run. We can play with any team as long as we keep it up for four quarters, but when you don’t, you lose,” he said.
Looking ahead, the Scots face a Cape Fear Colts team that defeated them on their home floor earlier this season. If Scotland is who they say they are—a resilient team that can beat anyone—there’s no better place to prove it. Scotland (10-11) travels to Cape Fear (8-13) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
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