CAMBRIDGE ― The first clash of the new boys basketball season between the Guernsey County rivals went to the home team, and it was a defensive masterpiece.
Cambridge High improved to 2-0 on the young season with a tough 55-41 victory over visiting Meadowbrook inside Gene Ford Gymnasium on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025.
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While the Bobcats' shooting performance was uncharacteristically cold, missing numerous easy layups and struggling to connect from beyond the 3-point arc, they found victory through a gritty defensive effort that harassed the Colts into a whopping 28 turnovers.
Defensive intensity seals Bobcats' homecourt victory
The stunning disparity in turnovers ― a 28-7 advantage for the Bobcats ― proved to be the clear difference maker on a night when points were hard to come by. This relentless Cambridge defensive effort was particularly effective against the visiting Colts, who were playing their first game of the season under first-year head coach Andrew Nichols.
Meadowbrook’s Michael Ray and Cambridge’s Garrett Carpenter jump the opening tip during a basketball game on December 2, 2025 in Cambridge, Ohio."We missed a lot of layups, a lot of shots we usually knock down," Cambridge head coach Logan McCort said. "But I like the way we turned it up defensively when we need to tonight. Anytime you can get a win against a good team like Meadowbrook, our rival, you will take it.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Doesn't matter if you win ugly, it's still a mark in the win column, and we will gladly take it."
Carpenter sparks Bobcats' second half surge
The Bobcats took a modest 30-20 lead into the halftime break before putting the game out of reach with a strong third-quarter effort. Senior standout Garrett Carpenter exploded in the frame, pumping in 8 of his game-high 20 points to lead the Bobcats to a key 16-7 scoring edge in the frame. This burst extended the lead out to 46-27 heading into the final period, giving Cambridge a comfortable cushion to manage in the final minutes of play.
Rounding out the scoring for Cambridge, senior Rylan Mathews and junior Cam Lauer each added 9 points, while senior Austin Jenkins contributed 8 points.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementColts see positives in game one loss
For Meadowbrook, the turnover issues were linked to new beginnings under the leadership of Nichols. And despite the struggles with ball security, Nichols saw plenty of reasons for optimism.
"It's our first game, and we are a young team. The kids are still adjusting to a new system and just a lot of new things," Nichols said. "So, the turnover issues are a result of us trying to figure things out on the fly. Despite our struggles with ball security, we had some good moments as well tonight."
Cambridge senior Austin Jenkins gets fouled by Michael Ray of Meadowbrook during a basketball game on December 2, 2025 in Cambridge, Ohio."I saw lots of positives, and I really like the effort we put out all night," Nichols continued. "It's just game one. It gives us plenty of ideas on what we need to work on moving forward as the kids continue to get more comfortable with the new system."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSophomore Blake Lappert led the Colts' offensive effort with nine points, followed by senior Jacob Burris with eight. Junior Michael Ray and senior Masyn Campbell each finished with seven points for Meadowbrook (0-1).
Cambridge travels to Buckeye Trail on Friday night at 7 p.m., while Meadowbrook will be idle until next Tuesday, Dec. 9, with a road game at Morgan High School.
Other area basketball scores from Tuesday
John Glenn 47, Hiland 43: The Muskies opened the new season with the non-league victory over the Hawks inside the Fish Tank on Tuesday, December 2nd.
John Glenn was led by the 1-2 scoring punch of seniors Stehl Bates with a game high 19 points and C.J. Dolan with 13 in the victory.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRyan Zerger led Hiland (0-1) with 17 points.
Buckeye Trail 70, Conotton Valley 30: The Warriors improved to 2-0 on the new season with the home court IVC rout. No stats were available.
Monday, Dec. 1 Results
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bellaire 42, Cambridge 29: The Bobcats girls’ basketball team suffered its first loss of the season to host Big Red on Monday, December 1st.
The Bobcats got off to a good start, taking a 12-8 first quarter lead as Alaina Sigman made a pair of three-point goals and Kadence Hanes added two buckets in the paint.
Unfortunately, the Lady Cats could not keep the momentum as they were outscored 21-6 in the middle two periods. Cami Moore scored four of the Bobcats six points with two free throws in the second and basket in the third. Miranda Cole added the other two points in the third quarter.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUnion Local 42, Barnesville 16: The visiting Jets (2-0) overcame a lackluster outing overall by forcing the Shamrocks (0-3) into 28 turnovers and an ice-cold 17% shooting in a wire-to-wire victory inside the Greenhouse at Barnesville High School.
The Shamrocks did hold a 38-29 margin off the glass behind Lydia Welch’s 13 boards. Fifteen of the 38 came on the offensive end of the floor.
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This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Cambridge pulls away from rival Meadowbrook boys basketball for win
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