The Houston High School boys junior varsity basketball team started the season with a pair of wins this week, beating Licking 44-29 in a Monday road game and downing Cuba 45-27 Tuesday at home.
After an evenly-matched first half at Licking, Houston employed full-court pressure and active defense around the basket to pull away in the second half. After fast break layups by junior Evan Fisher-Koch and sophomore Hunter McKinney, the Tigers had the first double-digit lead at 28-17.
Forward PJ Mister led Houston in scoring with 13 points (including 7 in the fourth quarter), while guard Tanner Lee had 11 (including 6 in the first quarter).
In the win over Cuba, the Tigers led 11-3 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.
Guard Garyn Hall went 7-for-8 from the free throw line and scored 18 points to lead Houston in scoring, while McKinney and Josh Smith added 6 apiece. Smith’s points came from a pair of treys. Eight players scored for the Tigers.