Considering the circumstances, Houston Tigers coach Brent Hall didn’t hesitate to say Tuesday’s victory at Ava was the biggest of the year.
Facing a season-worst losing skid and playing without its top defender, the Tigers outscored Ava 16-7 in the fourth quarter to rally for an important 50-44 victory.
The timing couldn’t have been better for Houston, which got a much-needed victory before Wednesday night’s district seeding meeting. The Tigers had dropped three straight games after losing 55-45 Friday night to Cabool.
“To bounce back – probably after our lowest point of the season – to play a good team on the road and come out with a victory, I think it’s the best win of the season,” Hall said. “We talk about it a lot. We hadn’t won a game all year that we weren’t supposed to win. On paper, most people would have had Ava coming out on top.”
Especially without one of the Tigers’ best players. Senior guard Ryan O’Neil injured his ankle late in Friday’s loss. Although the MRI is later in the week, Hall expected O’Neil, who has battled ligament injuries in the same ankle, to miss the remainder of the season.
Without O’Neil, who Hall said was the team’s top defender, Houston (10-11) played mostly 2-3 zone against Ava.
“It changes the way we guard people and really, the whole complexion of how we do things,” Hall said.
Kyle Poynter led the Tigers, who trailed 36-34 entering the fourth quarter, with 22 points. Jesse Setters added 12.
Poynter and Setters hit three 3-pointers apiece for the Tigers.
On Friday, a 14-2 run at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth propelled Cabool to a double-digit victory.
Poynter led Houston with 18 points, and Ty Scheets added 15. No other player scored more than four.
Nathan Stoutenborough led the Bulldogs, who were ahead 27-23 at the half, with 21. Austin Noll chipped in 13.
The Tigers defeated Cabool 43-34 the day after Christmas without Poynter.
Monday’s game
Houston 15 10 9 16 – 50
Ava 9 12 16 7 – 44
HOUSTON (10-11) – KyPoynter 8 3-4 22. Setters 5 0-0 12. Barker 1 2-4 2. DeWitt 1 2-2 4. TScheets 3 0-0 6. Totals 19 7-10 50.
AVA – Wendler 1 0-1 2. Wallace 3 0-0 8. Williams 2 3-4 7. Mitchell 1 0-0 2. Leonard 8 5-6 21. Watterson 1 2-2 4. Totals 16 10-13 44.
3-pointers: Houston 6 (KyPoynter 3, Setters 3); Ava 2 (Wallace 2).
Friday’s game
Cabool 18 9 17 11 – 55
Houston 17 6 13 9 – 45
CABOOL – Wilson 4 1-1 9. Dotson 0 1-2 1. Baker 4 1-2 9. Stoutenborough 8 2-5 21. Holmes 0 2-2 2. Noll 6 1-2 13. Totals 24 7-12 55.
HOUSTON (9-11) – Miller 0 1-2 1. KyPoynter 5 9-8 18. Setters 2 0-0 4. Barker 1 0-0 2. O’Neil 0 1-2 1. DeWitt 2 0-0 4. TScheets 6 3-4 15. Totals 16 13-17 45.
3-pointers: Cabool 2 (Stoutenborough 2); Houston 0.