Lady Tigers face crucial game tonight in district action

It will not rank up there as one of their most impressive wins of the season, but the Mountain Home Lady Tigers led from start to finish and hung on for a 37-35 win over Nampa Saturday night in the opening round of the District III 4A Girls Basketball Tourney in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium.

It was a game originally scheduled for last Wednesday night, but weather forced cancellation of it, and it was reset for Thursday, and then rescheduled to Saturday after weather again forced cancellation of it.

Mountain Home shot out to an early 4-0 lead, but then didn't score again until Angie Rios scored with 1:43 left in the quarter to make it, 6-3, Mountain Home. The Lady Tigers led, 9-3, after a quarter.

Nampa's only score in the second period was a free throw by Emily Renfro with 4:52 left in the quarter. Angie Rios hit two treys in the quarter, Emily Moranda had four points and Francesca Hale had a basket as Mountain Home built up a 21-4 halftime lead.

Nampa, who hit just one of 16 field goals first half for just six percent, warmed up some in the third quarter. Mountain Home increased its lead to 29-6 before the Lady Bulldogs went on a 13-2 run to end the quarter and cut the Mountain Home lead to 31-19, after three.

The fourth quarter saw Mountain Home go to the free throw line 15 times, and connect on just four, but it was enough to hold off the Lady Bulldogs, 37-35, and advance to the semi-finals of the district tourney.

"Offensively, I thought we did a great job of execution in that first half, and we shot the ball well, but even with that, granted we held them to four points, I don't know if it was totally our defense, we just seemed flat, and I have no clue why," said Lady Tiger coach Brent Keener after the game. "I know a couple girls were sick, but I don't know, I don't think that we got the message that it's actually the district tournament."

Angie Rios led the Lady Tigers with 12 points, which ties her season high. Francesca Hale added eight points, Emily Moranda, six, Hannah Zamora and Chantell Crane, four each and Brandie Riggs scored three.

The win improved the Lady Tigers to 11-10 on the season, and put them in the district semi-finals at Bishop Kelly Monday night against the Lady Knights.

The girls fell to Bishop Kelly 44-28, but no details were available by press time.

Mountain Home will face Emmett tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Columbia High in Nampa in an elimination game.

The top three teams will advance to the 4A State Tournament at Timberline on Feb. 14-16.