Holding the opposition to single digits in three of the four quarters, the Houston High School boys basketball team beat Cabool 54-36 in a South Central Association conference game Tuesday at Cabool.
The visiting Tigers led 14-8 following a buzzer-beating, 24-foot 3-pointer by senior guard Caden Guerra at the end of the first quarter.
Houston increased the lead to 18-8 early in the second quarter when 6-5 senior Gavyn Daily snatched an offensive rebound and scored from close range, but Cabool closed the gap to 19-15 when sophomore forward Josiah Leonard sank a short shot with 25 seconds left in the period.
But after freshman forward Karson McCain drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, the Tigers went to the locker room at the break with a 22-15 advantage.
Houston outscored the Bulldogs 13-5 in the third quarter and held a 37-20 lead early in the fourth following a bucket from the low blocks by Daily, but Cabool trimmed the margin to 40-30 on a short basket by Leonard with 3:15 to go.
McCain then came up with a huge 3-point play, throwing down a one-handed slam dunk and sinking a free throw after being fouled. The large number of HHS fans in the student section joyfully chanted “he’s a freshman!” after the dunk.
When senior guard DJ Riley converted an uncontested layup with time running out, the Tigers had their biggest lead of the contest and the final score was on the board.
Guerra led Houston in scoring with 15 points, while McCain finished with 14 and Daily had 10. Riley scored 9 points (all in the second half) and dished out a game-high 7 assists.
Cabool (8-16, 0-6 SCA) was led in scoring by Leonard with 16 points, while junior forward Jordan Kentner added 10.
The win was Houston’s first in conference play this season.
“Late in the season, chemistry often becomes the difference-maker — and this group is truly beginning to understand how to play together,” said HHS head coach Dan Narancich. “Players are anticipating each other’s movements, rotating defensively without hesitation, and willingly making the extra pass instead of forcing a shot. More importantly, they’re discovering grit.”
The two buzzer-beating treys weren’t planned, but necessarily accidental, Narancich said.
“Over the past couple of games, we’ve talked about the one-minute mark — what needs to be done to close out quarters and get the last shot,” he said. “Last night was a perfect example of not just talking about it, but executing it. I have complete confidence in my players to make the right decisions when it comes down to the final seconds. It’s always great to see the ball go in at the buzzer and carry that momentum forward.”
McCain’s slam wasn’t a complete surprise.
“On the fast break, I wasn’t sure if Karson was going to throw it down or lay it in, but either way, it was a moment he’ll never forget,” Narancich said. “And finishing with the and-one – you couldn’t have drawn it up any better.”
The Tigers’ zone defense is often hard for opponents to penetrate, and the Bulldogs were ice cold from the outside. They shot 26% overall from the field, going 10-for-33 from 2-point range and just 3-for-16 from deep.
“To start the third quarter, I told the boys I wanted the score to be 35-20, and they made it happen,” Narancich said. “It’s impressive that we held our opponent to single digits in three of the four quarters. That kind of defensive performance comes down to rebounding and making it clear: No second-chance shots.”
Daily and McCain were each 1 rebound short of a double-double, grabbing 9 boards apiece.
The Tigers (11-13, 1-5 SCA) host a nonconference game against Dora on Thursday and then conclude the regular season with an SCA home game against Ava on Friday.
“I’m proud of the way this group continues to grow, compete and finish,” Narancich said.
TO VIEW A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME, CLICK HERE.