The DeKalb County High School Tigers basketball team traveled to White County High School in Sparta last week to participate in the District 8AA Tournament. There, the sixth seeded Tigers took on the third seeded Lion of Cannon County. The game would not have the outcome Tiger fans wanted.
Early in the game, the Tigers found hitting the hoop elusive, and struggled with passing and ball control. The boys scored five points in the first period, with a three-pointer by Steven Jennings and a two-point shot by Ethan Roller. Cannon came away with 10 points and the lead.
The Tigers had nine points in the second period, with a three and two-pointer by Aaron Patterson and a three-point basket by Jennings. But, the Lions roared onward, taking 28 points and a 38-14 lead going into halftime.
The Lions showed they had come to play, taking 19 more points in the third period. The Tigers continued to struggle with passing the ball, and though they had their shots at the basket, they continued to find points hard to come by. The Tigers scored 15 points with a two and three-pointer by Roller, and two-point shots by Kaleb Ferrell, Justin Bone, and Patterson. The Lions were up 57-29.
Cannon County tacked on 22 more points in the fourth period. DeKalb outscored their border rival, but only by three. The Tigers had 23 points with Bone and Jennings each getting a two and three-pointer, Austin Frazier and Patterson each getting a three-point goal, and Jonathon Munoz and Gentry Harpole each getting a two-pointer. Cannon took the win, 79-52.
Patterson went three for three from the foul line, while Bone went two for two. Roller was two for four, Seth Wright one for four, Kevin Aldino zero for two, and Ferrell zero for one.
The loss ended the Tigers’ 2013-14 season.