MOUNTAIN GROVE –– One of the top teams in the region emphatically closed the door on the Houston Tigers’ season.
Houston senior Kobe Sutton puts up a jumper in the first half of Monday’s Class 3 District 10 game at Mountain Grove High School.
Top-seeded Mountain Grove scored 27 of the game’s first 30 points and cruised past HHS 90-38 Monday night in the opening round of the Class 3 District 10 tournament.
The Tigers finished with a 5-19 mark under first-year coach Robert James. They lost their final nine games.
Kobe Sutton hit three 3-pointers en route to a team-high 12 points to lead Houston. Fellow senior Nathan Poynter had 11 points.
The Panthers advanced to face Forsyth –– 70-50 winners against Willow Springs –– in Thursday’s semifinals.
The loss marked the conclusion of the basketball careers for seven HHS seniors: Sutton, Poynter, Keegan Spurlin, Skylur Malam, Caleb Adkison, Dylan Coulter and Austin Schock.
Mountain Grove opened the game with a 14-0 run that included points from four different players.
Houston got its first points when senior Keegan Spurlin scored in the lane with 2 minutes, 48 seconds left in the first quarter. After a free throw by Sutton, the Panthers ended the quarter with 13 unanswered points.
The Tigers got their second field goal on Sutton’s 3-pointer 1:42 into the second quarter. By then HHS trailed 33-6.
D.J. McNew led Mountain Grove with 18 points. Brock Coffman hit three triples and scored 13.
On Friday, Houston concluded the regular season with a 75-53 road loss at Liberty.
Sutton and Spurlin scored 10 points apiece to lead the Tigers. Malam added eight.
HHS trailed 36-29 at the half. The deficit stretched to 18 points entering the fourth quarter.
Last Tuesday, Sutton led three Houston players in double figures with 12 points in a 77-49 loss at Thayer.
Coulter and Malam added 10 points each.
The Tigers finished 0-7 in the South Central Association.
BOX SCORES
Monday’s game
Class 3 District 10
Houston 3 15 13 7 –– 38
Mtn. Grove 27 26 19 18 –– 90
HOUSTON (38) – Nathan Poynter 11. Dylan Coulter 2. Lucas Kelley 5. Caleb Adkison 4. Kobe Sutton 12. Keegan Spurlin 4. FG 13. FT 8-13. F 10. (3-pointers: Sutton 3, Poynter. Fouled out: none).
Friday’s game
Houston 12 17 12 12 –– 53
Liberty 22 14 23 16 –– 75
HOUSTON (53) – Nathan Poynter 6. Dylan Coulter 7. Lucas Kelley 8. Caleb Adkison 4. Kobe Sutton 10. Skylur Malam 8. Keegan Spurlin 10. FG 18. FT 13-18. F 18. (3-pointers: Sutton 2, Coulter, Malam. Fouled out: none).
Last Tuesday’s game
Houston 8 21 8 12 –– 49
Thayer 18 26 19 14 –– 77
HOUSTON (49) – Nathan Poynter 5. Dylan Coulter 10. Lucas Kelley 8. Kobe Sutton 12. Skylur Malam 10. Keegan Spurlin 4. FG 18. FT 5-9. F 7. (3-pointers: Sutton 4, Malam 2, Poynter, Coulter. Fouled out: none).