HHS head coach Dan Narancich addresses his starters just prior to the opening tipoff. After losing their first three games of the season, the Tigers have now won two straight. Credit: DOUG DAVISON | HOUSTON HERALD
With a dominant performance on both ends of the floor, the Houston High School boys basketball team routed county rival Plato 99-24 Friday night in Tiger Fieldhouse.
“The last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking a lot about staying together and teamwork,” said HHS head coach Dan Narancich. “We saw the success last Friday, and we tried to replicate that and that’s what we did.”
The Tigers employed a highly effective 2-3 zone defense in the contest. Plato trailed 23-4 at the end of the first quarter and 58-10 at halftime, and was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Tigers had 16 steals in the game while the Eagles had 3. “The boys enjoy it quite well,” Narancich said. “They bought into it, and you can see the results. We probably doubled our steals total from last season in just the last two games, so it’s working out.”
HHS sophomore Gavin Derrick (15) and freshman Karson McCain (2) apply defensive pressure in the backcourt against Plato sophomore Porter McCabe. The Eagles had major difficulty handling the Tigers’ press and committed 29 turnovers in the contest, while Houston had 9. The Tigers scored 42 points off turnovers while Plato had only 5.
Houston senior Gavyn Daily and Plato junior Cameron Hamlin jostle for rebounding position. The Tigers controlled the boards on both ends of the floor in the contest recording 36 rebounds compared to 22 for the Eagles.
HHS senior Caden Guerra prepares to finish a fast break with a layup during the second quarter. Guerra scored a career high 31 points in the game, including 17 in the second period and 25 in the first half. He sank three 3-pointers in both the first and second quarters on the way to reaching the 30-points mark for the second consecutive outing. “He’s been in the gym,” Narancich said. “We’ve been talking about things in practice and working on his shot and his hand placement, and it’s clicked for him. Hopefully it continues for the rest of the season.”
HHS freshman Blake Sanders prepares to send a pass to the perimeter during the third quarter. Tigers reserves played significant minutes during the lopsided victory.HHS senior point guard DJ Riley elevates for an acrobatic shot in the fourth quarter. Riley scored a season-high 31 points in the game, including 26 in the second half. “DJ is definitely our floor leader,” Narancich said. “That’s his role, and he’s good at it. I appreciate that so much out of him.”
To view a photo gallery from the game (with the option to buy photos), click here.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Contact him by phone at 417-967-2000 or by email at ddavison@houstonherald.com.
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