Tigercats prep for final league games

After an exciting overtime win against Touchet on Jan. 28, the Tigercats matched up against the league’s number two team and faced defeat at the hands of Pomeroy. The Tigercats’ league play wraps up this weekend with games against Colton and St. John-Endicott.

The Tigercats hosted Touchet in Kahlotus and sprung out to an early lead, before the Indians closed the gap in the second half. The Indians strong fourth quarter effort resulted in a tie-game, pushing the two teams into overtime competition.

“We went into that game with a belief that we could beat them, based upon our ability to play defense,” head coach Mike Stubbs said.

Defense has proved to be the Tigercats’ strength continually throughout the season, and Stubbs said the team relied on tough defensive pressure to provide more opportunities at the offensive end of the court. Limiting the amount of shots put up by the opponent because of strong defense creates a more balanced game between the two teams, Stubbs said, and the Tigercats were able to claim victory as a testament to their defensive ability.

The Tigercats went into halftime with an eight-point lead over the Indians, 24-16, and Stubbs said the team was focused on maintaining the same consistency in the second half, while trying to see where the Tigercats could make some advances against the Touchet defense.

Touchet slowly chipped away at the Tigercats lead when Carlos Rincon began hitting shots from the outside. With Touchet finally identifying their shooter for the evening, the Tigercats went into a box-and-one defense to limit Rincon’s shots.

Throughout the continuous physical match up, the Tigercats earned multiple opportunities at the foul line, which converted to 20 points for the team and ultimately helped the Tigercats earn a victory. Free throws proved to be the difference of the game in overtime.

After the Indians tied the game late in the fourth, the Tigercats went into overtime focused on maintaining solid defense. With a three-point lead, a late foul by Darcy Stamper at the three-point line sent a Touchet athlete to the line with the opportunity to tie the game.

After missing the first shot and making the second, Stubbs said the team prepared to rebound as the shooter would intentionally miss the final shot to provide the Touchet team with an opportunity for two points. The shooter sank both free throws, giving the Tigercats a one-point advantage and forcing Touchet to foul.

Stamper hit the final shot of the game, securing the Tigercats’ 54-52 win over Touchet. Stamper led the Tigercats in scoring with 17 points, closely followed by Roberts with 16.

Stephen Erickson added 10 to the final score, while Graham BeDell had four points. Bo Rice had three points, and Jason Wigen and Chance Rice each added two points.

“It was great win for the Tigercats,” Stubbs said. “I think it exemplified the type of heart, determination and defensive intensity we’ve shown in most games.”

The Tigercats went on the road Saturday night to face Pomeroy and returned home with a 56-37 loss. After a competitive first half, Pomeroy slowly pulled away from the LWK team by outscoring the Tigercats 26-15.

Stubbs said the Tigercats did not perform at their highest ability, but the team did make Pomeroy work for every basket. While the Tigercats only trailed by eight at the half, the team focused on making adjustments offensively in the second half in the hopes of reducing Pomeroy’s scoring advantage.

Pomeroy made adjustments to their defense in the second half, which caused problems for the Tigercats. After putting up 11 points in the first half, Stamper was held scoreless in the second half, partially attributed to Pomeroy’s box-and-one defense.

Stubbs said the Tigercats sank into a funk in the second half and did not play with the same intensity as the previous half. While Pomeroy won the game handily, Stubbs explained he did not believe the point differential indicates the difference between the two teams. With the Tigercats’ usually strong defensive presence, Stubbs believes the team could have been much more competitive.

Stamper ended the night leading with 11 points, while Chance Rice added eight. Roberts had seven points. BeDell and Brandon Bennett each contributed four points. Erickson ended the night with three.

Finishing the season with league wins over Colton and St. John-Endicott could move the Tigercats into a higher-ranking position going into districts.

The Tigercats travel to Colton on Friday night before hosting SJE in LaCrosse on Saturday night. Saturday marks the last home game and serves as senior night.