Tigers stay unbeaten with two lopsided triumphs
It was an impressive performance to say the least for the unbeaten St. Regis Tigers boys basketball team this past weekend.
Sharpshooting freshman guard Caleb Ball poured in 30 points, including several long range 3-pointers, as the Tigers routed Victor 76-27 Saturday night in St. Regis.
After trading baskets early in the game, St. Regis cranked up its choking defense and raced to a 22-10 first quarter lead behind Balls’ eight points and rebounding domination, led by 6-4 junior Andrew Sanford.
That pattern continued in the second quarter as the Tigers outscored Victor 13-6 on their way to a 35-16 halftime advantage. Ball scored seven more points in quarter number two, including the first of his four from beyond the 3-point line.
The second half opened with a quick two point bucket from 6-2 senior Nicholas Day, who along with Sanford controlled both ends of the rebounding game for the Tigers throughout the contest. What came next brought the loudest audio expression of the night.
Sanford intercepted a Victor pass, raced the length of the floor and slammed home a two-handed dunk to bring many in the crowd to their feet. That rim rattler upped St. Regis’ lead to 39-16 and the rout was on.
Tigers guard Ian Farris, a 5-10 senior, teamed with Ball in igniting several fast break baskets including a 12-0 run to end quarter three, capped by a 3-pointer from Ball who drilled it from long range as the buzzer sounded to end the quarter.
At that point St. Regis held a commanding 59-23 lead.
In the opening minutes of the final quarter, Ball drilled two more 3-pointers to put the Tigers up 65-25 and the clock kept running from that point on due to the mercy rule that kicks in when a team leads by at least 40 points.
Two other Tigers scored in double figures for the night, with eighth-grade standout John Pruitt pouring in 17 points, and Day adding 11.
The win, coupled with the Tigers’ 66-42 win Friday night in Noxon, boosted St. Regis’ season mark to 6-0.
In the Friday night win, St. Regis once again raced to an early advantage behind the stifling defense and rebounding domination that has been a key part of its success.
St. Regis led Noxon 14-6 at the end of one and boosted that margin to 36-19 by halftime. They outscored the Red Devils 22-9 in the third quarter before Noxon outscored them 14-8 in the final eight minutes.
Pruitt was the game’s high scorer against Noxon, dropping in 20 points. He was joined in double figure scoring by Sanford who had 12, Farris with 10 and Ball who added 12.
Noxon was paced by the 15 points scored by 6-5 senior standout Rylan Weltz.
Next up for St. Regis is a crucial match with Plains on the Horsemen’s home court Thursday night. The Tigers return home Friday when they host Two Eagle River.