Lady Tigers open season with tough loss to Timberline

The Mountain Home Lady Tigers opened their 2007-2008 girls basketball season last Friday night at home against Timberline, losing a tough, hard-fought game, 42-37.

Mountain Home started slow, and trailed 6-0 before finally getting on the scoreboard on a basket and a free throw by Francesca Hale with 4:05 left in the first quarter. The Lady Tigers tied it at 8-8, and Timberline led, 10-8, after a quarter.

The lead went back and fourth in the second quarter, with Mountain Home, on the strength of four straight free throws by Chantell Crane, leading, 16-15, at the half.

Timberline hit four three-point field goals in the third quarter and outscored the Lady Tigers, 18-8, to build up a 33-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Mountain Home got baskets by Emily Moranda, Dakota Barrie and Brandie Riggs to start the fourth, and whittled the lead down to three, 33-30, with 6:04 left. Timberline went 7/15 from the free-throw line in the final quarter to build the lead back up to seven.

The Lady Tigers got back within four, 41-37, with 39 seconds left, and had a couple opportunities to cut the lead further, but could get the shots to drop, as Timberline won, 42-37.

Lady Tiger coach Brent Keener saw some definite positives come out of their first game of the season.

"Effort-wise, I thought the effort was there. A little sloppy, but it's early on. I think we'll get there. We had our chances and we missed a couple lay-ups down the stretch. That third quarter, we just couldn't find shooters -- just couldn't recognize them, and that 31 (Jessie Gould), she could shoot the ball, and we just continually left her by herself -- it killed us."

Francesca Hale and Emily Moranda led the Lady Tigers in scoring, Hale had 11, Moranda, 10. Dakota Barrie and Chantell Crane both scored six points, Angie Rios and Brandie Riggs each scored two.

The Lady Tigers traveled to Vallivue last night, and are at Wood River on Friday night. They open conference play next Tuesday at Bishop Kelly. Their next home game is Nov. 26 against Wood River.