WEED – Two of the Shasta Cascade League’s top title contenders squared off to open the league season on Tuesday night, with the Weed Cougars winning in the final seconds over the Trinity Wolves, 46-45. After Trinity (7-3, 0-1) had come from behind to take the lead late in the game, Weed’s Jake West scored the game winner for the Cougars (10-2, 1-0) on a drive down the lane for a lay up.

The Cougars led almost the entire game, with Robert Gonzales opening the scoring with a put back. Luke Curran scored for the Wolves to tie it at 2-2. Weed took the lead 4-2 on a bucket by Jake West, and continued to lead until three minutes into the fourth quarter.

The Cougars led 12-8 at the end of the first quarter, and pushed their advantage to as many as 10 points in the second quarter. Snipers Tanner Shelton and Robert West hit consecutive 3-balls to open the second quarter, making the score 18-8. Weed enjoyed an 8-point advantage at the half, 29-21.

After a lackluster third quarter, Weed had the lead 34-28. Then, the contest heated up in the final frame.

Trinity’s leading scorer this season, Justin Jeangerard opened the quarter with a bucket, 34-30. A Jeangerard steal-n-score cut the Cougar lead to a single basket, 34-32.

Weed scored on an inbound play from J. West to Gonzlaes, 36-32.  Dakota Hayward added a basket, and Trever Martin hit a freebie to bring Trinity to within one point, 36-35, with 6:30 left in the game.

Two from the charity stripe for J. West made it 38-35. Jeangerard dished to Curran for a Trinity hoop, 38-37. A put back by David Fischer gave the Wolves their first lead of the night, 39-38, with 5:19 on the clock. Curran scored to make it 41-38.

There was 4:30 to play, when Shelton nailed his second trey of the night to knot the contest at 41-41. Curran and J. West exchanged buckets, 43-43. The Wolves went back on top, 45-43, on a Fischer put back. R. West went to the line for a pair of free throws, with 1:40 remaining, and a chance to tie. He hit one of two, leaving Trinity in the lead, 45-44.

The Cougars found themselves trailing with only 18 seconds remaining on the clock, and were forced to foul, putting Jeangerard on the line. Weed grabbed the rebound, when Jeangerard missed the front end of the 1-and-1. Trinity was 5/15 from the line, and Weed was 16/22 in the game.

Weed Coach Mike Carpine called time out with 12 ticks on the clock. The first option on the final Cougar play was for J. West to hit R. West as he flashed across the paint. When R. West flashed, he drew two defenders, opening up a lane for J. West to drive to the hoop for the winning bucket, with four seconds to go.

Jake West led the Cougars in scoring with 15 points. Robert West and Robert Gonzales each had 10 points.

Justin Jeangerard’s 15 points was tops for Trinity. Luke Curran had 9, and Kenny Swain scored 7 points.

Weed hosts Fall River (10-2, 1-0) on Friday. Fall River defeated Mt. Shasta on Tuesday night, 51-48.

Trinity plays Gridley (7-3) on Thursday.