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 The Tigers
The Tigers’hustle and aggressive plays against Emery,Dec.14,were offset by turnover problems in the third quarter as the Tigers lost 52-35. The Tigers are now 3-3 in the preseason schedule with another tough game Dec. 15 at 2A’s No. 1 ranked Kanab. The Tigers seemed frustrated at times by the Spartans’tough two-three zone defense,which extended out on the wing some and collapsed into the paint when the Tigers tried to get the ball inside. “The Spartans play good defense,”Gordon Dotson,head coach,said. “It’s a zone that we’ve never seen. They played so well together.” The first quarter saw both teams showing some good ball movement. But getting shots to fall was a problem as both teams were playing some aggressive defense. With 1:44 remaining in the first quarter,Tiger post man Sam Force dropped the ball in for two,giving the Tigers a 6-4 lead in a low-scoring defense-dominated first quarter. The first quarter ended with a 3-point exchange. Gordie Dotson cashed in with a basket,giving the Tigers a 9-6 lead with seconds remaining on the clock. Emery quickly responded with a 3-pointer of their own. The first quarter ended with the score tied 9-9. The Tigers and Spartans continued to exchange baskets during the second quarter. The Tigers showed their quickness and athleticism in the second quarter,and they also showed their versatility with good ball movement on the perimeter in their set offense. However,late in the second quarter,the Tigers had a hard time hanging on to the ball,showing signs of what was in store for the third quarter. The second quarter came to an end with the Spartans getting several easy baskets off of turnovers. The score at halftime was 20-16. “We had some turnovers,”assistant coach Stan Smith said. “We just need to be patient with the ball and work our offense.” “Against their two-three defense,we’re looking to get the ball into the post and try to score,and if not,kick it back outside,”Smith said. Hurricane High School’s Tigerettes provided halftime entertainment to a preseason crowd of about 200 fans. The student body section was close to two-thirds full. “In the third quarter,we had nine of our 20 turnovers,and that meant a lot of easy baskets for the Spartans,”Gordon Dotson said. “They outscored us 16-5 in the third quarter alone.” The score at the end of three quarters was 36-21. The Tigers did not give up,coming out and continuing to play with intensity in the fourth quarter. “We played pretty well except for the third quarter,”Gordon Dotson said. Tiger sophomore Cory Hinton got some varsity time as he came off the bench to go four for four from the foul line in the fourth quarter,scoring his four points in just a few minutes. The Tigers’other leading scorers were: Sam Force (10 points),Mike Long (7 points),Rory Anderson (6 points) and Gordie Dotson (5 points). Two of the Tiger guards led the team in rebounds. Gordie Dotson and Long each grabbed seven boards. “Emery’s not 5-1 for no reason at all,”Gordon Dotson said. “Their coach has been there for a long time,so they know what they’re doing. “Our kids are having to learn a new system,although we do a lot of the same things we did last year. It’s just different. It’s still early,and the kids are trying to learn my system and what to do.” Bookmark & Share              |