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It was all about the big cats this week as the Dupo Tigers’ 8th Grade boys basketball team competed in the SS. Peter & Paul Catholic School Holiday Tournament in Waterloo. And it was the big cats that took the hardware from the tournament. The Albers-Damiansville Cougars took First Place, the MCS Panthers were victorious in the Third Place contest and the Dupo Tigers won the Consolation Championship.
As the Tigers faced the Prairie Du Rocher Hawks it would pit the size of the Hawks against the athleticism of the Tigers. And as they squared off against each other it was a stalemate after the first quarter. Neither team was able to muster much offense as defense and turnovers ruled the period. The Tigers got plenty of good looks but their shots wouldn’t fall as the game was tied 5-5 after the first quarter.
The Tigers came out in the second quarter with full court pressure to force the Hawks into the Tigers’ up-tempo style of play. And while it was working and resulting in turnovers the Tigers found it difficult to convert Hawks mistakes into points. Late in the second quarter the Tigers finally got a little breathing room leading 11-7 with 2:30 left in the quarter. But just as quickly as Dupo assumed the lead they lost it again as the Hawks came back to tie it at 11-11 and the half finished with the Tigers leading 13-12.
Prairie Du Rocher opened the first half scoring working it into their center #51 Mitchell Hooten. Something they had been trying to do for much of the game with little success. But the Hawks scored the first eight points of the second half to take the lead 20-13 with 4:25 left in the third quarter. The Tigers took a timeout and came back on the floor with some resolve. Dupo guard #10 Deandre Brown hit a three-pointer, the Tigers stole the ensuing inbound pass as Willie Reed scored, then Corey Biggs made a steal and an excellent down court pass to Reed for two, then Reed with a steal and another two. Suddenly the Tigers had retaken the lead 21-20 with 1:36 left in the third quarter. So after the Hawks 8-0 run to start the third quarter the Tigers had an 11-0 run to close out the third quarter with the lead 24-20.
Dupo continued their pressure on defense prompting more turnovers on the part of the Hawks. The Tigers took advantage and extended their lead to nine points 29-20 with 3:20 left in the game. The Hawks never drew any closer than six points after that as Dupo went on to win 35-26 and take home the Consolation Trophy.
The Tigers were led by Willie Kidd with 18 points and he was followed by Tyler Barnes with 12 points. Dupo Tigers Coach Kraig Roth said, “We played a pretty decent game tonight. Our two best scorers stepped up and got it done for us. But it wasn’t the offense that won it, we finally looked really good with our full court press. Even when we didn’t score we disrupted their offense. That was the difference in the game.”
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