TIGER BASKETBALL CARVES OUT 3-1 RECORD
It is another season arriving for the Tigers basketball team and it appears they are prepared to deal successfully with it. As usually is the case with the larger schools, you generally graduate most of your starters each year. That is the case for this Tiger team. Only a couple of the squad members played any significant time on last year's team. At the present they have carved out a 3-1 record and no doubt there will be continued improvement in play will come with the experience of playing.
Much of that showed in their opening match with Leander Rouse. The Tigers had a very horrible night in the shooting department as they lost to the Raiders 44-34. They only managed to hit 3 of 17 from the three and a no better 9 of 31 from the two. Rouse held a 23-21 lead after two but DS could only manage 13 points in the second half to shoot themselves in the foot.
It was on to the Hays schools with success. Lehman pressed the Tigers for the entire game. Lehman held a 33-28 lead at the half but a 5-point output in the third allowed the Tigers to go ahead 47-38 and hold onto the 62-57 win. Scoring did not come as easily in the Hays game. It was 21-18 in Tigers favor at the half. The Tigers added ten points to their lead (37-24) after three but again the fourth slowed for the final 51-44.
Austin High was the Tigers first home opponent. Austin got off to a 6-0 lead and the Tigers would spend the rest of the quarter trying to overtake the Maroons. That would finally happen as DS tied the score after one 13-13. The Tigers were only 1-10 from the three. Jayden Guevara and Ben Bondurant came in for the second and made an impact as their 3-range was spot on. Each hit a pair to aid in taking a 30-22 lead to the lockerroom. An 8-0 run to open the third quickly opened up a 16 point lead. Austin kept battling to narrow it to 42-32 after three. They could not gain on the Tigers in fourth as DS would match each shot and the final was a well-earned 57-45 win. Seven players got in the scoring column, the ball-handling was good (turning ball over four times) and overall play was good as well. Obviously, Nick Statz, the tall guy on the team will be a thorn in the side of his opponents in all areas.
Vs Rouse: Trace Young 13, Statz 10, Tyler Smith 7, Xavier Phillips 4.
Vs Lehman: Statz 23, Phillips 9, Alema Louis 8, Young 8, Smith 7, Bondurant 7.
Vs Hays: Young 22, Phillips 12, Spencer Lund 6, Smith 5, Kyle Rioux 4, Louis 2.
Vs Austin: Young 14, Statz 12, Smith 10, Rioux 6, Guevara 6, Bondurant 6, Price Siemering 3.