By Chris Grant

Sports Editor

Despite a late rally the Connally High green basketball team finished their summer league season with a 64-61 loss to Hutto on Tuesday night.

The Cougars green team finished the summer 4-4. Dadrian Gage led Connally with 18 points. T.J. Rush scored 12 and Gio Terry added 10.

Connally trailed 37-26 at halftime, but thanks to baskets by Gage and Terry, opened the second half with an 8-3 run to trim the Hippos’ lead to 40-34. Hutto had taken a 45-38 advantage when the next Cougar surge hit. Terry dropped in two baskets and DaJuan Williams turned a three-point play to tie the contest at 45-45.

Gage knocked down a 3-pointer and then scored on a tip-in to give Connally its first lead of the second half 53-51. After the Hippos scored on a free throw Eddrick Watson and Terry each put in baskets to push the Cougars’ lead to 57-52. With 5:30 left in the game. Hutto answered the Connally challenge with a 9-0 run to take a 61-57 lead with 2:35 left on the clock. Gage scored on a driving layup for the Cougars to cut the Hippos lead to 61-59, but Connally was unable to stop Hutto’s offense. The Hippos answered with three points and led 64-59 with 1:20 to play. Gage scored the Cougars’ final basket of the summer on a put-back that pulled Connally to within three at 64-61 with a minute to play.

The Cougars’ defense got the stop they needed on Hutto’s next possession, but with 10 seconds remaining in the game, Gage had the ball stolen by a Hippo defender to seal the win for Hutto.

Thanks to Rush’s hot hand, Connally started the game on a strong note, building a 10-9 lead before the Hippos rallied to take the lead. Breon Evans knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the contest at 18-18 with 10:52 left in the first half and Gage buried another three to give the Cougars their final lead of the first half 21-20 a minute later. Hutto was up 25-23 after two Terry free throws, but the Hippos finished the first half with a 12-3 run as the Cougars lone points came from a Watson trey.