In a hotly-contested, back-and-forth contest between two county rivals, the Houston High School boys basketball team fell last Friday at Licking, 57-51.
The visiting Tigers got on the board first on a pair of free throws by junior guard Dillon Shelton, but that was the only lead Houston would hold in the game.
The host Wildcats controlled the rest of the first quarter and led 17-8 when sophomore forward Jason Ingram sank a shot from close range with two seconds left in the period.
After the two teams went toe-to-toe in the second quarter, Licking’s lead was 28-21 at halftime.
The Tigers then began chipping away at the deficit in the third quarter and trailed 40-36 when senior guard DJ Riley sank two free throws with four seconds to go in the period.
With the big crowd making lots of noise and the intensity of play on court at a high level, Houston cut the margin to 44-42 when Karson McCain finished a fast break with a layup with 5:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.
After the Wildcats rebuilt the lead to six points, the Tigers pulled to within two again when Shelton drained a shot from 3-point territory to make it a 50-48 game with 2:55 to go.
But Licking survived the comeback attempt, as Houston committed a couple of crucial turnovers in transition and missed a couple of shots down the stretch.
HHS freshman guard Griffin Aaron nailed a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left, but the clock favored the Wildcats and time ran out on the Tigers.
“I thought the boys played hard most of the game,” said HHS head coach Dan Narancich. “In the first quarter, we were not moving very well, rotating or being strong with the ball, but we were just coming off from break and not really in our routine.”
Aaron drained three treys and scored 13 points in the second half on the way to leading Houston in scoring in the game with a career-high 15 points. Riley finished with 13 points and was credited with a game-high 9 assists, while senior guard Caden Guerra sank a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter and had 12 points.
“The freshman group are stepping up in big roles throughout the season and Griffin was no exception,” Narancich said. “He always comes in and gives us what we need to get going, if that is on the defensive side or offensively, and for Licking it was offensively with some big 3s to keep us close.”
Senior guard Karson Walker led the Wildcats in scoring with 16 points, while Ingram finished with 15 and junior forward Conway Adey added 12.
The Wildcats might have enjoyed a larger margin of victory, but went only 10-for-21 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Houston didn’t miss a foul shot, going 8-for-8.
But while the Tigers sank 7-of-19 shots from behind the arc (36.8%), they went only 11-for-33 from 2-point range (33.3%). Conversely, Licking went only 3-for-14 from 3-point land (21.4%), but sank 19-of-27 2-point shots (70.4%). The Wildcats (7-5 after the win) scored 20 points off turnovers, compared to 9 by the Tigers, and scored a whopping 36 points in the paint, compared to 18 for Houston.
The Tigers were without 6-5 senior Gavyn Daily, who was sidelined with an ankle injury.
“That affects us under the basket and the amount of space he takes up with his length,” Narancich said.
TIGERS LOSE TO OPPONENT FROM ARKANSAS
On Monday of last week, the Tigers fell 55-43 to Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, on Day 3 of the Cabool Holiday Tournament.
The 13th-seeded Tigers managed only six points in the first quarter and 15 in the first half. Meanwhile, the No. 8 Bears were ahead 23-15 at halftime and held off Houston after the break.
Only four players scored in the game for the Tigers. Riley led the way with 23 points, while Aaron had 8, McCain had 7 and Guerra added 5.
Three players scored in double-figures for Mammoth Spring. Senior guard Richard Gatewood nailed five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 25 points, while senior forward Ayden Matheny had 13 and senior guard Skylar Davis added 11.
The Bears went 14-for-18 from the free throw line, while Houston sank only 5-of-12 foul shots. The cold-shooting Tigers sank only 4-of-22 attempts from 3-point range.
While the defeat eliminated Houston from the 16-team tournament, Mammoth Spring went on to beat Eminence in the loser’s bracket final, 82-75. Bunker won the tournament, defeating Liberty, 66-53, in the championship game.
Next up for the Tigers (4-6) is a home game Friday (Jan. 9) against Summersville.
Houston travels to Norwood on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and then opens South Central Association conference play with a matchup against Willow Springs on Friday, Jan. 16, in Tiger Fieldhouse.
“The boys are more than able to rise to the occasion when we play together, talk and celebrate each other’s plays,” Narancich said. “They can take over a game very quickly and win with a good margin doing those things. It’s the constant reminding them that it’s a team game and not an ‘I’ game.
“The boys continue to learn and get better each practice and game.”
In his quest to reach the 1,000-points mark for his high school career, Riley sits at 894 following last week’s action.