Schools 
BELTON — Friday night in Belton wasn’t about the District 12-5A playoff picture.
Both Belton and Copperas Cove are already out of the district’s hotly contested race, sitting instead at the bottom of the standings while the others figured out the last three spots.
Friday was about pushing through to the end of the season, playing well while doing so and setting a tone for the offseason and on to next year.
And while the Bulldawgs made strides, it was Belton — as shown by its 58-52 win at home Friday — that is a little bit further along.
“I just want us to still compete,” Belton coach John Osborn said.
Turnovers have plagued the Bulldawgs (11-23, 1-12) for much of the season, especially those coming in close games that eventually turned into losses. Even in their win over Shoemaker a week ago, the Dawgs committed 10 of their 22 turnovers in the fourth quarter when the Grey Wolves’ rally fell just short.
“Again, same story, different game,” Cove coach Billy White said. “Now I don’t think we had as many turnovers tonight, but they were in crucial situations. In a game like this where it’s back and forth, back and forth, two turnovers are going to hurt you because that’s two more possessions that they get that we don’t.”
Cove had 15 turnovers Friday, but six came in the second quarter when Belton (16-14, 4-9) nearly took full control of the game. The Dawgs went into the quarter up 13-8, as Osborn started a senior-only lineup in honor of the group’s final home game. The move nearly backfired, as the Tiger seniors were mostly post players.
But that all changed in the second quarter with Belton’s regulars back out on the floor. The Tigers opened the period on a 6-0 run, which included a Eric Braeuer foul shot following a Cove technical foul, and Braeuer then hitting a 3-pointer on the ensuing Belton possession.
Jonathan Bridges answered with a 3-pointer, putting Cove back up one with just under six minutes to play, but the Dawgs didn’t score again until 56 seconds remained in the half. By then, Belton led 24-17 and Cove had turned the ball over three times in addition to multiple misses. The Tigers also gave themselves second- and third-chance scoring opportunities with offensive rebounds.
“I really thought that was the key to the entire game,” Osborn said of the Tigers’ rebounding. “Any time you give a team second and third shots, its tough to keep a lead or win a basketball game. I felt like in the second quarter we controlled everything on the boards.”
Belton went into halftime up 26-19 after holding Cove to just six second-quarter points. The Dawgs made a move coming out of halftime, starting the third quarter on a 10-2 run while its was the Tigers struggling with turnovers (four during Cove’s run). Osborn called a timeout with 2:59 left in the quarter and Cove up 29-28, and the teams immediately switched roles.
Belton ended the quarter on a 6-0 run while Cove committed turned the ball three times. It went back and forth in the fourth quarter (Cove tied Belton twice early), but the Tigers slowly pulled away in the final three minutes as the Dawgs couldn’t convert offensively only to have the Tigers go down and make a layup.
Sean Voss led Belton with 16 points, while he combined with Darrius White (10 points) for 12 of Belton’s 20 fourth-quarter points. Antonio Clemons had 13 points to lead Cove.
