The Connally Cougar Black basketball team had an easy time with Hutto, knocking off the Hippos 61-33 in summer league action on Tuesday.

Marcel Pimpton led the way for the Cougars with 16 points and six assists. Blair Anderson added 13 points to the Cougar cause and Mike Egwagu finished with eight.

Despite a slow start, Connally was in control by halftime. The Cougars actually trailed 5-4 with 12 minutes to play in the first half but, thanks to their tenacious defense, went on a 15-0 run to take complete control of the contest.

Anderson knocked down two 3-pointers during the run and Dion Gaddy added another helping Connally build a 19-5 advantage.

After a Hippo trey briefly stemmed the rising Cougar tide Pimpton hit a free throw and scored back-to-back baskets to push Connally’s lead to 26-11. He then fed Anderson for a three and drove the length of the court to drop in a layup that further extended the Cougar lead to 31-11.

Anderson hit one more three and Tony Standberry added a free throw to give Connally a 35-14 lead at intermission.

The Cougar run continued to start the second half. Pimpton took a pass from Egwagu and drained a three then followed the basket with a deuce to push Connally’s lead to 42-16.

Egwagu got in on the scoring action, starting an 8-2 run that saw the Cougars lead grow to 50-18.

Standberry got back in on the scoring action, knocking down a three that pushed Connally’s lead to 55-24 and set off another Cougar run. This time Jailen Bass joined in with two buckets and Adrian Williams added one more helping Connally to a 61-27 lead.

The Cougars forced nine turnovers in the second half while giving the ball away just four times themselves. This defense paid dividends the entire game and Jovante Budd cashed in late in the second half, when Gaddy made a steal and found him open at the other end of the court for a layup that extended Connally’s lead to 63-29.

Egwagu added one more basket and Cougar senior Syvon Reagan, who had served as the team’s coach for most of the game, came off the bench to drop in two points to complete Connally’s rout.