Playing once at home and once on the road, the Houston High School boys basketball team lost twice last week in tightly-contested South Central Association conference games.
The Tigers fell 81-69 to Salem Tuesday in Tiger Fieldhouse and were defeated 66-59 Friday at Mountain Grove.
The game against Salem began at a frenetic pace, as the two teams exchanged 7-0 runs at the outset with each incorporating full-court defensive pressure.
But with senior guard Caden Guerra sinking three 3-pointers, the host Tigers led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Houston extended the advantage to 21-15 early in the second period after buckets by junior guard Dillon Shelton and senior center Gavyn Daily.
But the visiting Tigers gained the momentum and took their first lead of the contest at 24-23 when senior guard Lincoln Thomas converted a breakaway layup with 5:23 remaining in the quarter. Salem ended up outscoring the host Tigers 29-13 in the period and held a 44-30 lead at the break.
Houston hung tough in a physical and hard-fought third quarter, cutting the deficit to 57-49 by the end of the period.
But Salem built a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter and held on for the victory.
“The boys came out to play and focused on the task at hand,” said HHS head coach Dan Narancich. “But we would get involved in the game so much that we would forget to slow down and make smart decisions. But that comes with time to understand when we need to slow down to refocus and when to continue to push the ball.”
The 6-5 Daily had a stellar outing for the host Tigers, posting a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds – both career highs. Eight of those boards came on the offensive end of the floor, as Daily sank six put-back shots during the contest. He also blocked 3 shots.
“Gavyn showed us what he is capable of doing for this team and I hope he continues that for the rest of the season,” Narancich said.
Guerra finished with 18 points for Houston, while senior guard DJ Riley had 16 (including 10 in the fourth quarter) and Shelton added 9.
The experienced Salem bunch came into the game with five seniors and four juniors. Senior forward Gavin Sapaugh led them in scoring with 32 points (pouring in 14 buckets from close range and going 4-for-6 from the foul line) while also nabbing 15 rebounds (including 9 on the offensive end).
The host Tigers struggled from the stripe, sinking only 5-of-15 of their foul shots.
Houston was without freshman forward Karson McCain in the game, as he was sidelined with sickness.
“Karson would have made a difference on the offensive and defensive end, and his ability to get rebounds,” Narancich said.
HHS freshman guard Griffin Aaron played a season-high 32 minutes, scoring 4 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing out a game-high 7 assists.
“With not having a deep bench, the boys still pushed hard, ran hard and were stepping up again into positions that some are playing for the first time at this level,” Narancich said.
The win improved Salem’s record to 13-7 overall and 2-0 in the SCA.
CLOSE, BUT NOT ENOUGH
The matchup at Mountain Grove again began with an exchange of runs, as the host Panthers took a 5-0 lead after the opening tip and the Tigers were on top 6-5 moments later.
The score was tied at 16-all after the first quarter, and Mountain Grove went ahead 25-18 early in the second period. But Houston answered again, pulling even at 25-all after McCain sank a shot from short range.
The Panthers then went on a 10-3 run to lead 35-28 before the Tigers scored the last 3 points of the first half.
Mountain Grove opened up a 40-31 lead when junior Brody Emery hit a bucket early in the third quarter, but Houston hung tough and closed the gap a couple times before running out of time.
“I was pleased with how we competed against Grove,” Narancich said. “The kids continue to show that we’re a competitive team and that we’re capable of winning games. We’re just making a few small mistakes that are costing us at key moments throughout the game.”
Back from his sickness, McCain nailed three 3-pointers and led Houston in scoring in the game with 17 points, while Daily had 14 (including six baskets in the first half), Riley had 9 and Shelton added 8.
“Gavyn had another big night, and if we can get everyone to execute at the same time, that would be amazing,” Narancich said.
Mountain Grove junior guard Kale Gardner drained four shots from deep and led all scorers in the game with 21 points, while senior guard Aden Estep hit three treys and had 12 and Emery finished with 10. The victory left the Panthers with a record of 8-12, 1-3 in the SCA.
The Tigers (9-11, 0-3 SCA through last week) have a busy stretch this week, including SCA games Tuesday at Thayer and Friday at Liberty, along with nonconference contests Wednesday against Laquey in Tiger Fieldhouse (rescheduled due to weather) and against Lesterville on Saturday in the annual Bunker Shootout.
“We are growing and putting things together,” Narancich said. “Every day, these boys keep learning and wanting more. I like where this group is at right now, and I believe we’re trending in the right direction to finish the season strong and be ready for district play. That’s been our focus – learning how to compete and execute when it matters most.”