CABOOL – Behind a 20-6 second-quarter run, Winona topped the Houston Tigers 59-44 Wednesday afternoon in the opening round of the 13th annual Cabool Holiday Tournament.
Senior Weston Walker scored a game-high 18 points for the Tigers (2-6), who play Sparta at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the consolation round. Devin Coulter scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.
Zack Smith hit five 3-pointers and led three Winona players in double figures with 17 points. Jacob Smith scored 16 and Jeff Smith added 11.
After falling behind early, the 12th-seeded Tigers pulled with a point on Coulter’s jumper to open the second quarter. But No. 5 Winona answered with eight unanswered points to jumpstart a 20-6 rally. The run ended with the Wildcats comfortably ahead 33-18 at the half.
Houston, which trailed by as many as 20 points, cut the deficit to 10 when Walker found Coulter behind the defense for an easy layin with 7 minutes, 22 seconds left in the game.
But Winona’s Austin Mays answered with a three-point play on the next possession and the Tigers never got closer.
Box score
| Houston    |  10 |  8 |  16 |  10 |  – |  44 |
| Winona | Â 13 | Â 20Â | Â 13 | Â 13 | Â –Â | Â 59 |
HOUSTON (44) – Nathan Poynter 6. Devin Coulter 13. Aaron Cantrell 3. Weston Walker 18. Kolby Walker 4. FG 20. FT 1-4. F 11. (3-pointers: Poynter 2, WWalker 2, Coulter).
WINONA (59) – Austin Mays 9. Luke Thompson 6. Zack Smith 17. Jacob Smith 16. Jeff Smith 11. FG 24. FT 7-10. F 11. (3-pointers: ZSmith 5. Fouled out: none).