Tigers slide past Bishop Kelly but lose to Vikings

The Mountain Home Tigers came away with another split in boys basketball conference games last week, beating Bishop Kelly at home and losing at Middleton.

Mountain Home 48,

Bishop Kelly 46

Jarek Schetzle scored with 10 seconds left to lift the Mountain Home Tigers past the Bishop Kelly Knights in conference boys basketball last Wednesday at Mountain Home High School's Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium.

The Tigers shot out to a 13-5 first quarter lead and increased it to an 11-point advantage in the second quarter before Bishop Kelly fought back to within seven, 25-18, at halftime. The Knights exploded for 20 points in the third quarter to take a 38-37 lead into the fourth quarter.

The final quarter went back and forth with five lead changes and three ties. With the score tied at 46, Mountain Home played for the last shot, and Jarek Schetzle scored inside to give the Tigers the lead.

Bishop Kelly quickly got the ball down the floor and got off a three-point attempt at the buzzer that was no good, giving the Tigers the win.

"We got big defensive stops when we had to, and hit big shots when we needed them," said Tigers' boys basketball coach Brion Bethel. "I was really impressed with our composure down the stretch when the game was on the line. B.K. is a great team, and that was a really big win for us. We still have work to do to be the team we want to be."

Jarek Schetzle led the Tigers with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Christen Riedel netted 13, Jermaine Smith chipped in seven points, Tyler Park added five and Garrett McKenzie dropped in two.

The Tigers shot well from the field, hitting 50 percent of its shots while dropping in 27 percent of its three-point shots. They also went 13 for 20 from the free throw line.

Bishop Kelly shot just 30 percent from the field, hitting five of its 22 treys. The Knights shot 70 percent from the free throw line.

Middleton 59, Mountain Home 51

The mantra of shooting the ball well became very plain to the Tigers on Friday as they turned the ball over nine times in the fourth quarter while Middleton rallied for a 59-51 conference win.

Mountain Home led early but fell behind, 12-17, after a quarter. The Tigers grabbed the lead in the second quarter, holding the Vikings to just two, second quarter points to go up, 24-19, at the half.

The Tigers built their lead to 10 points in the third quarter before Middleton started its comeback. A trey in the closing seconds of the third quarter cut the Tigers lead to 39-32, heading into the fourth.

Despite shooting well in the fourth quarter, the Tigers turned the ball over nine times in the quarter -- at least nine shots they were unable to take -- and Middleton cashed in from the free throw line, hitting 11 of 13 in the quarter to pull past the Tigers for the win.

"The team played a very good game for three quarters," said Coach Bethel regarding his Tigers. "We have to learn how to play to win instead of not to lose, but we're getting better every day."

Marcus Egusquiza led Mountain Home in scoring with 10 points. Jarek Schetzle added nine, Christen Riedel, eight, AJ Woodruff, seven, Garrett McKenzie, six, Tyler Park, four, Jymon Garretson, three, Chris Wright and Jermaine Smith both scored two points.

Mountain Home shot 53 percent from the field, hitting nine of its 17 treys. The team only hit 40 percent of its free throws.

Middleton shot 43 percent from the field, including 32 percent of its three pointers. They hit 87 percent from the foul line.