Tigers open hoop season with 52-34 win over Boise

Wednesday, December 7, 2005

Showing a very tenacious defense, the Mountain Home Tigers opened their 2005-2006 boys basketball season with a 52-34 non-conference win over the Boise Braves Saturday night at Boise.

Mountain Home started slow, and trailed, 5-0, early, but trailed just 7-5, after a quarter. They took their first lead of the game, 21-20, with 43 seconds left in the first half on a basket by David Anderson.

Robert Moss hit a trey at the buzzer to give Mountain Home a 24-21 lead at halftime, and they would never trail again.

Jarrod Roberson scored nine of his 14 points in the third quarter, as the Tigers went on an 11-0 run to start the third quarter. The Tigers led, 37-26, heading into the final period.

Continued defensive pressure by the Tigers prevented Boise from getting any kind of a fourth quarter rally going, as Mountain Home won, 52-34.

Mountain Home head basketball coach Tony Kerfoot was pleased to open with the win.

"Our big challenge was to make sure we came out and played with a good attitude and hustle, and I thought we did a very good job. The big thing we had to improve was our defense. We only gave up 34 points tonight, and it's been awhile since Mountain Home 's only given up 34 points. I thought we did an excellent job playing defense and hustling, and a lot of things fall in the right places if you can take care of that."

The Tigers' defensive pressure forced 33 Boise turnovers, which pleased Kerfoot. One glaring stat for the Tigers was their 20 percent (4/20) shooting from the free throw line.

"I'll take all the credit for that," said Coach Kerfoot, "because instead of practicing our free throws, we've been practicing on our defense, and I'll take the blame or the credit for that, because it didn't cost us the game. As we get going and get stuff in, when we have a little more time, we'll spend a little more time shooting free throws and it'll get better.

"I think part of it was it was our first game and the guys were a little nervous. I know they're better shooters than that, so it's just a matter of what we have to do to get it all fixed. They've just got to settle down."

Robert Moss and Jarrod Roberson both scored in double figures for the Tigers, Moss hit for 20, Roberson 14, all in the second half. David Anderson added six points, Jacob Monasterio netted five, Troy Williams scored three, Eric Gardzina and Travis Eikeness both had two.

The Tigers return to action at home tonight (Wednesday) against the Jerome Tigers in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium.

Sophomore action tips off at 4:30 p.m., JV action around 6 p.m., with the varsity contest to follow after that.

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