Central and South Junior High’s eighth-grade teams met for a rematch in the Cougar’s Den Wednesday.

After a close 47-43 loss at home last time the two teams met, Central aimed for a little revenge – and almost got it.

Instead the Mustangs, who controlled the majority of the game, lost focus in the fourth quarter and South snuck away with a 38-36 victory.

Central controlled the game through the first two quarters with strong guard play and tough defense. Forward Coulter Vestal started the scoring for Central and anchored the team on both the offensive and defensive glass. South guard Michael McCabe was hot early, sinking a three-pointer and scoring all of South’s five first-quarter points.

The Mustangs continued their dominance in the second period. Vestal had four points and three rebounds on his way to a team-high eight points and game-high nine boards. While there were no major scoring runs, Central extended its first-quarter lead to seven at the break. Five players scored for Central in a well-balanced and executed attack. Guard Bo Schneider showed his sharpshooting skills ,going 2-2 from behind the arc in the first half.

That was when the wheels fell off for Central. South used an 11-6 run in the beginning of the third quarter to pull within two points and force a Central timeout. South center Mark Laskowski converted a three-point play and guard Marcus Ray sank a three ball during the crucial run.

“We played a lot more aggressive in the second half,” South’s McCabe said. “We were able to shut them down on defense and force turnovers.”

After battling to a 30-30 tie after three quarters, South turned up the heat with a full court press that caused all kinds of trouble for Central’s guards in the fourth and final period. Central scored the first four points of the final quarter, but after a quick timeout with 4:14 left on the clock South refocused and forced three straight turnovers and turned them into six points for the Cougars and a 36-all tie.

South's Joey Baker gets a put-back against Central Wednesday at South Junior High. South won 38-36.

“We got impatient with our passes against the press,” Central coach Jacob Larsen said. “We need to realize that there’s no shot clock and be more patient, waiting for things to develop.”

A final turnover sealed the deal for Central when South guard Cornelius Edwards stole the ball and was fouled with just 9.2 seconds left. In his first trip to the line for the game, Edwards sank both free throws and, after a last-second shot for Central went awry, a 38-36 victory. McCabe and Laskowski led the Cougars with nine points apiece, but Edwards’ free throws, his only points of the game, proved to be the only ones that mattered.