Tigers on 10-game losing streak

The Mountain Home Tigers dropped two more games last week, extending their losing streak to 10.

Skyview 90

Mountain Home 45

There is no doubt about it -- the Skyview Hawks are a step or two above the rest of the teams in the SIC 4A. They showed that last Tuesday night when they burned the nets with 57 percent shooting in doing in the Mountain Home Tigers, 90-45, in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium in Mountain Home.

The Hawks shot out to an 11-0 lead before Robert Moss scored to put Mountain Home on the scoreboard with 4:45 left in the first quarter. It was 27-13 Skyview at the end of the first.

Mountain Home managed just six second quarter points, while the Hawks, who shot 61 percent from the field in the first half, built up a 48-19 halftime lead.

Mountain Home managed to put more points on the scoreboard in the second half, but Skyview continued to build its lead, leading 71-31, after three, and with Mitch Ward's trey at the buzzer doubled up the Tigers, 90-45.

"They're a good ball club," said Tiger basketball coach Tony Kerfoot. "They're the returning state (4A) champions and they're good. They're as good defensively as they are offensively, and we couldn't come close to guarding them. I think we handled their (defensive) pressure a little better tonight than we did the first time we played them.

"We had our share of problems trying to get into our offense, and part of that was their defense -- they had active hands -- and that's something we preach all the time on defense, to get our hands out, and it was kind of like, 'See! We told you so!' They do some things that we don't do real well, and they pointed a lot of those things out, things that we try to work on and we don't do well, and they were doing them.

"I thought after a while, we got to where we were playing decent tonight, but just nowhere near four quarters of it, and that's what we've got to be able to do."

Eric Gardzina and Robert Moss hit double figures in scoring. Gardzina had a season-high 11 points while Moss tossed in 10. Travis Eikeness added six points, David Anderson, Jarrod Roberson and Troy Williams all had four points, Tyler Hicks, Jacob Monasterio and Kenny Florer each scored two.

Mountain Home shot 36 percent (18/50) from the field, which included just two of 12 (17 percent) treys. They also shot a miserable 44 percent (7/16) from the free-throw line.

Skyview ended the night shooting 57 percent (37/65), including nine of 22 (41 percent) three-pointers. They hit 64 percent (7/11) from the foul line.

Bishop Kelly 81

Mountain Home 62

The Tigers had a great first half Friday night at Bishop Kelly against the Knights, but were a "no show," in the second half as they were outscored 50-26, absorbing an 81-62 loss.

The Tigers seemed to put Tuesday night's blow out loss to Skyview behind them quickly, shooting out to a 19-9 lead. It was 19-11 Mountain Home after a quarter.

The second quarter saw the Knights come back to lead 20-19, before two free throws by Jacob Monasterio gave the Tigers the lead back, 21-20, with 5:06 left. The Tigers maintained the lead the rest of the quarter and led 36-31 at halftime.

Mountain Home came out psychotic in the third quarter, turning the ball over numerous times, the Knights going on a 12-0 run before Eric Gardzina hit one of two free throws to make it 43-37 Bishop Kelly with 4:34 left in the period.

The Tigers got one free throw from Troy Williams and two more from Gardzina to come within five, 45-40, but could come no closer.

Their only field goal of the third quarter -- a trey by Robert Moss -- came with 36 seconds left in the period as Bishop Kelly stormed to a 55-43 lead heading into the final quarter.

Baskets by Tyler Hicks and David Anderson in the first two minutes of the fourth brought the Tigers back within 10, 57-47, but that would be as close as they came the rest of the way, as the Knights stretched their lead to 20 points.

"We've got to do a better job of getting ready mentally to play the second half," said Coach Kerfoot after the game. "That was the biggest difference. They came out in the second half, we didn't. It was the same thing last time when they outscored us 26-16 in the third quarter, and 90 percent of that is mental, and I don't know why we do that. We've done it before, playing close, but we've always had periods that have killed us, and this one tonight really buried us in that third quarter.

"We knew it was going to be a game where we were going to have to score some points, because they've been scoring a lot of points, and at their place, that's going to happen. We came out and took the three away, and they're going to get it somewhere else, and I didn't think we did that good of job on the boards. With the size advantage we had, it didn't help us."

Bishop Kelly out rebounded the Tigers, 39-35.

Eric Gardzina had a season high for the second straight game, scoring 14 points and bringing down eight rebounds. Travis Eikeness added 13 points, Robert Moss netted 11. Jacob Monasterio scored nine points, Tyler Hicks had seven, and led the team with three steals. David Anderson and Troy Williams both scored four points, and Williams led the team with five assists.

Mountain Home hit 43 percent (23/53) of their shots, including six of 15 (40 percent) treys. Bishop Kelly hit 44 percent (28/63) from the field, but only four of 18 (22 percent) three-pointers. Mountain Home was outscored by 11 at the free throw line, Mountain Home connecting on 10 of 17 (59 percent), Bishop Kelly 21 of 26 (81 percent).

The loss dropped the Tigers to 4-14 overall, and 1-11 in conference play, with two games left on the regular season schedule. The Tigers hosted Emmett last night and close out the regular season Friday night at Vallivue.

"We might as well get it turned around and win two in a row going into district," said Coach Kerfoot heading into this week's games. "If we get to the point mentally where we're in it and ready to go and stay in it, then I think we can do that."

The District III 4A Boys Basketball Tournament opens Feb. 14.