Tiger sophomores win two in a row

The Mountain Home Tigers sophomore boys basketball team closed out its regular season schedule with a win over Emmett at home, and then did it again Saturday to open the District III 4A Sophomore Boys Basketball Tournament.

Tigers 61

Emmett 52

The Mountain Home Tiger sophomore boys basketball team closed out their regular season schedule with a 61-52 win over Emmett last Tuesday night in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium in Mountain Home.

An 8-0 run midway through the first quarter brought the Tigers back from a 4-2 deficit to a 10-4 lead. They led 13-7 after a quarter and took a 31-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Mountain Home increased its lead to 15 points midway through the third quarter, but the Huskies battled back to within nine, 45-36, heading into the fourth.

The Tigers again stretched their lead to 15, at 55-40 with 4:37 left in the game. Emmett managed to come back within seven, 59-52, with 34 seconds left, but could get no closer, as the Tigers prevailed 61-52.

Brent Sexauer led the Tigers with 17 points, Tyler Wright netted 12 and Colton Zamora added 10. Justin Connolly scored seven points, J.T. Cristobal and Anthony Barbosa both added five, Ricky Castillo scored four and Mert Baysal scored three.

Tigers 59

Emmett 33

It is sometime difficult to have to open district tournament play against the same team you closed out the regular season against, but the Tigers seemed not to mind, as they rolled to a 59-33 win over Emmett Saturday in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium.

Mert Baysal led a balanced scoring attack for Mountain Home with 10 points. Justin Connolly added nine, Brent Sexauer, Ricky Castillo and J.T. Cristobal each scored seven, Colton Zamora had six points, Enrique Verella five, and Anthony Barbosa and Tyler Wright both scored four. Wright led the Tigers with 10 rebounds.

The Tigers hosted Bishop Kelly Monday afternoon in one semi-final; Middleton faced Kuna in the other. Those two winners play this afternoon at 5 p.m. at Emmett for the District III Sophomore Championship.