All the Houston High School basketball teams want for Christmas are strong showings in their respective holiday tournaments.
Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers are spending their breaks competing in tournaments this week. The boys begin play Wednesday afternoon in the Cabool Holiday Tournament, and the girls open play Thursday morning in the U.S. Bank/Rolla Holiday Invitational.
“It’s an advantage to be playing during the Christmas break and having a reason to be in the gym,” first-year Tigers coach Richard Rose said. “We get to play some stiff competition for us. It’s another great gauge for us to see we are in our development as a team.”
Lady Tigers coach Brent Kell agreed. His team is playing during the holidays after not participating in a tournament last season.
“It seemed like when we played during the holidays, we came back from the breaking playing better,” he said.
The 12th-seeded Tigers (2-5) opened their tournament against No. 5 Winona. The winner plays at 4:30 p.m. Thursday while the loser plays at 10:30 a.m.
Rose said the game is another opportunity for his team to see where it stacks up against a quality opponent. In the Tigers’ last game –– a 66-57 defeat to Alton last Monday –– Rose said the team took a positive step forward despite losing.
“I want to see the same effort we’ve seen the last few games and finding that next level we talk about in practice,” Rose said. “Our effort and focus is getting better. I want to see some of the things we’re doing in practice applied to game situations.”
Rose has preached more patience on the offensive end, better shot selection, making pass fakes and few turnovers.
“They seem to have a firm grasp of what we want to accomplish,” Rose said. “Now it’s just going and doing it –– which is something as a program we’re having a hard time with right now.”
The Lady Tigers (5-2) will play several bigger schools at Rolla. They play Waynesville at 10 a.m. Thursday and will face either Rolla or Warrensburg in the next round.
Improved shooting will be a key for HHS. The Lady Tigers have shot 40 percent or less from the field in all seven games this season, including a 30-percent effort in last Thursday’s four-point loss at Laquey.
“When we start shooting the ball well, we’ll be competitive with everyone we play,” Kell said. “We haven’t done that yet. I believe we have the tools to do it.”
If the Lady Tigers win their opener, they will play at 2:30 p.m. Friday. A loss drops them into the consolation bracket at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
“I just want us to compete, and if we do that,” Kell said, “I feel like we can have some success in this tournament.”
BOYS
at Cabool High School
Wednesday’s games
(1) Eminence vs. (16) Couch, 9 a.m.
(8) Norwood vs. (9) Thayer, 10:30 a.m.
(4) Licking vs. (13) Sparta, noon
(5) Winona vs. (12) Houston, 1:30 p.m.
(2) Liberty vs. (15) Lutie, 3 p.m.
(7) Gainesville vs. (10) Seymour, 4:30 p.m.
(3) Cabool vs. (14) Summersville, 6 p.m.
(6) Dora vs. (13) Plato, 7:30 p.m.
GIRLS
at Rolla High School
Thursday’s games
Houston vs. Waynesville, 10 a.m.
Hickman vs. Newburg, 11:30 a.m.
St. Clair vs. Sedalia, 1 p.m.
Rolla vs. Warrensburg, 2:30 p.m.
The bracket for the 2012 Cabool Holiday Tournament.
The bracket for the 2012 US Bank/Rolla Holiday Invitational