Both Houston High School basketball teams played multiple games in holiday tournaments last week, as the boys were in the field at the 74th annual Blue and Gold Tournament in Springfield and the girls took part in the sixth annual Mountain Grove Girls Holiday Tournament.
LADY TIGERS NOTCH SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON
Seeded 10th in the 16-team event, the Lady Tigers began with a 40-28 upset win over No. 7 Alton on Monday.
Houston advanced to play second-seeded Mansfield on Thursday, and fell 43-28.
The Lady Tigers led 20-12 at halftime in the contest, but were outscored 31-8 in the second half.
HHS sophomore Hannah Dzurick prepares to dribble upcourt after grabbing a rebound in the Lady Tigers’ loss to Mansfield last week in Mountain Grove.
Mansfield went on a 19-2 run to open the third quarter, powered by 5-10 senior forward Jada Henry, who scored 12 of her game-high 25 points in the period.
{{tncms-inline alignment=”right” content=”<p><strong>Girls</strong></p> <p>•Jan. 3 vs. Newburg</p> <p>•Jan. 6 @ Thayer</p> <p>•Jan. 7 @ Bourbon Tournament</p> <p>•Jan. 13 @ Liberty</p> <p>•Jan. 16 @ Cabool</p> <p>•Jan. 23 @ Dora</p> <p>•Jan. 27 @ Mansfield Tournament</p> <p>•Feb. 3 vs. Ava</p> <p>•Feb. 6 vs. Willow Springs</p> <p>•Feb. 7 @ Koshkonong</p> <p>•Feb. 10 vs. Hartville</p> <p>•Feb. 13 @ Plato</p> <p>•Feb. 17 vs. Salem</p> <p>•Feb. 20 @ Mountain Grove</p> <p><strong>Boys</strong></p> <p>•Jan. 10 vs. Summersville</p> <p>•Jan. 14 @ Norwood</p> <p>•Jan. 17 @ Thayer</p> <p>•Jan. 24 @ Laquey</p> <p>•Jan. 27 @ Conway Tournament</p> <p>•Feb. 4 @ Liberty</p> <p>•Feb. 7 @ Cabool</p> <p>•Feb. 11 vs. Ava</p> <p>•Feb. 14 vs. Willow Springs</p> <p>•Feb. 18 vs. Salem</p> <p>•Feb 21 @ Mountain Grove</p> <p><strong> </strong></p>” id=”7f28c4c3-3153-4b07-b9dc-844ff3c47cbc” style-type=”bio” title=”HHS BASKETBALL SCHEDULES” type=”relcontent”}}
Houston crawled back into the game early in the fourth quarter, and trailed by only 3 at 31-28 after freshman guard Aliyah Walker converted a 3-point play on a driving layup and a free throw. But Mansfield then scored 12 unanswered points to earn the victory.
Sophomore guard Hannah Dzurick and junior forward Riley Scheets each had 6 points to lead Houston in scoring, with Dzurick tallying all of hers in the second quarter as the Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Lions 12-4 to establish the halftime lead.
The Lady Tigers played again Friday, and fell to their namesakes from Salem, 52-31.
Dzurick scored 18 points, while freshman Karlee Curtis had 5.
Individual statistics from the Alton game were not available.
“We’re young and we knew we were going to have some growing pains,” said HHS head coach Jim Moore. “We play well for about half the game; we have to learn to put four quarters together. We will – it’s just part of the process.”
Top-seeded Liberty took the tournament championship with a 67-56 victory over Mansfield.
TIGERS FALL TWICE
Playing in the 16-team Blue Division, the unseeded HHS boys fell to No. 7 Crane 51-34 in Thursday’s opening round in a contest played in the Hammons Student Center at Missouri State University.
The Tigers came back the next day and lost to South Central Association rival Willow Springs, 48-33.
After a steal at midcourt and a driving layup by senior guard Tristan Leier, Houston led 21-18 at halftime. But the Tigers’ offense all but dried up after the break and they were outscored 16-2 by the Bears in the third quarter.
Individual statistics from the two games were not available.
Hartville beat Rogersville 52-46 to take the Blue Division championship, while Greenwood defeated Kickapoo 65-55 to secure the Gold Division title.
The Lady Tigers (2-6) will host Newburg this Friday (Jan. 3) and then won’t play at home again until Ava comes to town on Feb. 3.
The HHS boys (5-6) are off until next Friday (Jan. 10), when they’ll host Summersville. After that, the Tigers won’t play another home game until Feb. 11 when they take on Ava.
Girls
•Jan. 3 vs. Newburg
•Jan. 6 @ Thayer
•Jan. 7 @ Bourbon Tournament
•Jan. 13 @ Liberty
•Jan. 16 @ Cabool
•Jan. 23 @ Dora
•Jan. 27 @ Mansfield Tournament
•Feb. 3 vs. Ava
•Feb. 6 vs. Willow Springs
•Feb. 7 @ Koshkonong
•Feb. 10 vs. Hartville
•Feb. 13 @ Plato
•Feb. 17 vs. Salem
•Feb. 20 @ Mountain Grove
Boys
•Jan. 10 vs. Summersville
•Jan. 14 @ Norwood
•Jan. 17 @ Thayer
•Jan. 24 @ Laquey
•Jan. 27 @ Conway Tournament
•Feb. 4 @ Liberty
•Feb. 7 @ Cabool
•Feb. 11 vs. Ava
•Feb. 14 vs. Willow Springs
•Feb. 18 vs. Salem
•Feb 21 @ Mountain Grove