Cougars Battle to the Final Buzzer but Fall to CCBC Dundalk 69-65

Frederick Community College men's basketball put together a gritty, physical effort Wednesday night inside the Athletics Center, but the Cougars came up just short in a 69-65 loss to the CCBC Dundalk Lions. Facing one of the Region 20 Division II front-runners, Frederick trailed by eight at the break before mounting a strong second-half push.

CCBC Dundalk opened the night with efficient shooting and built a 36-28 halftime advantage, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and timely scoring in the paint. Frederick stayed within striking distance by controlling the glass, but struggled to find rhythm from the perimeter early, hitting just a few shots from deep in the opening 20 minutes.

The Cougars responded with renewed energy after halftime, outscoring the Lions 37-33 in the second half and cutting the margin to a single possession down the stretch. Kylan Johnson led Frederick with a team-high 19 points, attacking downhill and calmly converting all five of his free-throw attempts. Gabriel Jones added 15 points while contributing across the floor defensively, and Thierry Patchou provided a spark inside, finishing with 12 points and five rebounds while drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line consistently.

Frederick's effort on the boards kept them alive offensively, as the Cougars finished with 21 offensive rebounds and a 37-29 rebounding edge overall. Cameron Canty anchored that effort with a double-digit rebounding performance, while Ryan Tientcheu came off the bench to add tough minutes, rebounds, and interior defense. Despite forcing key stops late, Frederick couldn't overcome a cold shooting night from beyond the arc, finishing 4 for 23 from three-point range.

The loss moves the Cougars to 9-7 overall and 5-4 against Region 20 Division II opponents. The Cougars will look to bounce back when they host Community Christian College (Mich.) on Friday, January 23, at 5 PM.