The student section got louder and louder as the Bishop Lynch Friars were attempting a free throw. With every second that passed by, the CHS Arena started to vibrate with yells in order to throw off the Friars.

It worked. 

On Saturday, Coppell boys basketball played its last two games in the 2019 Classic Chevrolet Showcase, against Bishop Lynch and Kileen Ellison, reigning as champions of the tournament with a total 4-1 victory. 

Saturday started off with the Cowboys coming up against a fierce competitor, the Killeen Ellison Eagles. 

Both teams struggled to score at the beginning of the game, but with Coppell sophomore guard Ryan Agarwal and senior forward Clayton Hunter scoring two and three pointers, the Cowboys were able to advance in the first quarter. 

However, with the Eagles strong offensive lineup, the Cowboys started to fall behind letting the Eagles lead 37-30 at halftime. 

The Cowboys continued to fight on with even more two and three pointers scored by Coppell seniors guards Brandon Taylor and Adam Moussa. However, with the Eagles’ strong offensive line-up and constant turnover of the ball from Coppell, the Cowboys lost to an ending score of 63-60. 

“We turned the ball over way too much,” Agarwal said.” We didn’t start off strong. They had a bad start and we should’ve taken advantage of it and punched them in the face first.” 

For Coppell coach Clint Schnell, the team was not as focused as they should have been against Ellison. 

“I was proud of the fact they didn’t quit, I just wish they’d been a little more disciplined and a little more locked into what we were trying to accomplish,” Schnell said. “Maybe Ellison took us out of our rhythm a little bit or maybe the guys weren’t feeling the way they needed to.”  

However, the Cowboys were able to redeem their bitter loss when going up against the Bishop Lynch Friars.

The Cowboys started off strong with Coppell senior guard Brandon Taylor scoring four three-pointers within the first quarter with other players scoring as well. The Cowboys were up, 15-3, by the end of the first quarter, with the Coppell student section cheering for them in the stands. 

Coppell sophomore guard Anthony Black continued to throw two and three-pointers along with junior guard Ryan Chen and Hunter. The Cowboys easily held the upper hand throughout the game, winning 72-40. 

“Student section coming out to support us had a big thing with it,” Schnell said. “It was a fun environment to play in. Losing that first game kind of reset us a little bit. It made us realize we got to play a little harder, we got to do things a little more right.” 

While the Cowboys worked hard to earn their championship title, the Classic Chevrolet showcase allowed many of the players to understand how they really played and what their dynamics were as a team. 

“It’s really a chance to get your season off to a good start, get a lot of games under your belt, figure out who your team is moving forward and to get the guys into basketball mode as season gets ramped up,” Schnell said. 

Even many players appreciated the chance to get to see how they truly played on the courts. 

“This tournament taught me how to face adversity because the last few games we were down a bit, but we had to play through it and play hard the whole time,” Black said. 

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