Tigers edge out wins over Troy

The St. Regis Tigers boys’ basketball team could get to be known as the tachycardia Tigers if this keeps up.

To wit, their white-knuckle thrill-ride win over Troy, 56-51, Friday night in a wild one that wasn’t decided until the last couple clicks on the game clock. 

Meanwhile, the Lady Tigers took a less-stressful route as they led from start to finish in their 57-29 win over the Lady Trojans. 

The boys from St. Regis, a talented and deep team that plays coach Jesse Allan’s swarmingly frenetic brand of defense, improved their record on the just underway 2024-25 season to 4-0 with the win.  Three of their first four victories have been decided by five points or less and St. Regis comebacks have become almost routine. 

Troy showed it too can play defense in the first quarter, as they limited the often-explosive St. Regis offense to four points enroute to a 10-4 lead at the end of the first eight minutes of play. 

But as is becoming their style, the Tigers kept things close while coach Allan mixed the combinations of players on the court like a scientist looking for the right formula. 

At the end of the first half, Troy was holding a 28-21 advantage. 

Just where the Tigers wanted them, apparently. 

In the third quarter, St. Regis stepped on the gas offensively and outscored Troy 23-16 to erase the Troy halftime edge and knot the score at 44-44 with one quarter to play in regulation. 

Then, in the fourth quarter, the pesky, frustrating defense stepped it up a couple notches for St. Regis, as they limited Troy to seven points while scoring 12 of their own. 

That allowed them to build a 56-51 lead that held up through a rapid-fire final two minutes of play highlighted by a two pointer by forward Kaden Sanders and a cool-as-a-cucumber pair of swished free throws by sophomore guard Conner Lulis that sealed the win for St. Regis. 

Lulis led a quartet of Tiger players who scored in double figures as he netted a game-best 15 points. Sanders added 13 to the Tigers cause, while senior Hunter Stolla and Nathan Bohn chipped in 12 each. 

“It was another close one, down to the wire!” said coach Allan. “We’re struggling to find a groove in the first quarter of these games and our shots are just a little off the mark.  But, as any coach will tell you, a win is a win, no matter how you slice it.  I think these kinds of games will really benefit us down the road”. 

Allan also had high praise for Troy. 

“Troy is a solid team, well-coached, really hard-working group”, he said. “The Orr kid (Carson Orr, who tied for the team lead with 14) is as much of a stud on the hardwood as he is on the gridiron”. 

The Lady Tigers had a much easier time with the Lady Trojans. 

Jamie Cleveland led the Lady Tigers with 14 points against Troy, while teammate Averie Burnham added nine in the victory.

After a close first quarter which St. Regis led 8-5, the Lady Tigers erupted for 23 second quarter points, while their defense held Troy to seven points.  That gave St. Regis a 31-12 halftime lead. 

The Lady Tigers then added six points to their halftime lead by outpointing Troy 15-9 to build a 46-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

Before it was over, St Regis added another three points to its lead to secure the 28-point victory. 

The win boosted St. Regis to 2-1 on the year heading into the Christmas vacation break.  Both the boys’ and girls’ teams return to action Thursday, January 2 when they host regional rival Hot Springs in St. Regis.