The Houston seventh-grade boys’ basketball team couldn’t hang onto a double-digit lead and lost 38-36 Tuesday night to Ava.
The Tigers led 13-6 after the opening quarter and by 11 at the half.
“This one stings a little bit,” Houston coach Eric Sloan said. “I think we are starting to show flashes of our capability, but we are not consistent in every aspect of the game yet.”
Kyler Ramsey led Houston with 12 points. Clayton Moore added eight and Sterling Jackson had six.
“Credit to them – they made shots and stole one from us,” Sloan said. “Ava is a really good team and their record proves that. We just have to instill in our mind that we are a pretty good team as well and learn to play with that type of confidence.”
EIGHTH GRADE: CJ Lee scored a season-best 18 points in the Tigers’ 60-35 loss Tuesday to Ava.
Houston led 16-12 after the first quarter but was outscored 48-19 the rest of the way.
Sloan said he was proud of the effort from his team, which only has seven players on the roster.Â
“The score doesn’t show how close this ball game was,” Sloan said. “This is a group that will fight and play their tails off every night. I am proud of the effort we are getting on the defensive end blocking out and eliminating possessions for other teams.”
BOX SCORES
Seventh grade
| Ava    |  6   |  5   |  13   |  14   |  –   |  38   |
| Houston   |  13   |  9   |  6 |  8 |  – |  36 |
HOUSTON (36) – Hunter Stilley 2. Isaiah Buse 4. Kyler Ramsey 12. Dakota Burchett 4. Clayton Moore 8. Sterling Jackson 6.
Eighth grade
| Ava     |  12   |  10   |  22   |  16   |  –   |  60   |
| Houston   |  16 |  7 |  6 |  6 |  –  |  35 |
HOUSTON (35) – Paydon Dixon 4. Thomas Smith 1. CJ Lee 18. Logan Cary 7. Brecken Adey 3. Josh Stell 2.