FROM STAFF REPORTS

sports@newstopic.net

Tim Cline doesn't like seeing his Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute men's basketball team lose.

But Cline things there may be some positives to come out of the Cobras' 111-110 double overtime loss to rival Catawba Valley Community College on Thursday night in Hickory.

Robert Shaw scored a season-high 37 points for Caldwell CC&TI (14-5, 4-3 National Junior College Athletic Association Region 10), which rallied from a 15-point deficit with two minutes remaining to force overtime.

Octavius Robinson added 28 points and Marcus Shaw 18 for the Cobras, who had opportunities to win at the end of regulation and both overtime periods.

"We couldn't make a big shot that would hold, I guess," said Cline, Caldwell CC&TI's head coach. "We also had times where we were on the verge of blowing the game open, but couldn't do it."

The Cobras entered Thursday night's game having won four of their last five, but only two of those reached triple-digit scoring. By comparison, Caldwell CC&TI had hit triple digits in four games before the holiday break.

Ramar Cuthbertson scored 37 points to lead four other players in double figures for the Buccaneers (7-12), who had lost five of their last six games before facing the Cobras.

Clyde Bickford and Sampson Cleare had 18 points each, and Jacoby Corpening and Patrick Monroe added 17 points apiece for CVCC, which trailed 39-37 at the half only to fight back and pull ahead big before the Cobras made their own rally to tie the score at 91-91 at the end of regulation.

"We jumped out to a big lead to start, but they came back," Cline said. "We did the same in the second half, and they made another run. ... But we played excellent full court defense, and would up tying the game."

Caldwell CC&TI had its chances to win, missing a layup at the buzzer in regulation, missing a pair of free throws with 45 seconds left in the first overtime that would have

"It was an intense game, and I'm proud of the guys for the way they fought back. We deserved to win, but we couldn't finish a couple of shots. But this was the game we needed after a couple of lackluster games.

"You don't like to lose, but we got back to where we like to play."

Caldwell CC&TI returns to action Sunday, traveling to Oxford, Ga., to play Emery-Oxford College.