The Tigers returned from an away game at Beach High where men clawed a 70-61 victory over the Bulldogs and the ladies dropped the game 47-35, slipping into second and possibly third place in the 3-AAAAA region.
Tigers 70, Bulldogs 61
With Brandon Hayes back and bringing a renewed intensity, four Tigers scored in the double digits to bring down the Bulldogs of Beach in a fierce battle keeping the Tigers poised at the number three spot in 3-AAAAA behind Savannah and Johnson High.
"I think I saw a lot more intensity in this game than I saw in the last three or four games," Tiger coach Pete Woodard said. "Brandon was out for the last few games and looks like he returned and brought more intensity to the game.
"They played pretty good last night and this is the time we need to show improvement because we are getting ready to get into tournament play. This is the time other teams want to gel to send a message."
Woodard said his team showed they went to Beach to win. Jarvis Wadsworth scored 22, Hayes scored 13, Robert Sims scored 12 and Kentrell Hargrove was the other double-digit scorer with 10 points. The Tigers are now 17-7, 9-4 as they take on number two-ranked Johnson tonight at Johnson High.
"Johnson is a tall order," Woodard said, referring to Johnson's star power forward, Toby Veal.
"They could easily be number one in the region give or take a few breaks against Savannah. Although Savannah is at the top of the region I would put those two teams in a hat and on any night you pull out one and you got a winner."
As Woodard preps his team for a battle at Johnson he said you can't take a guy like Veal out of his game. Instead Woodard said, "You just play the game and let the game come to you. Monitor and adjust your defense based on what the offense gives you. He is going to get his, as you recall they came here and we were leading with about 35 seconds left in the game and Toby hit the three and made the difference. Big time players do that when they have to."
Woodard is hoping the Tigers play the spoiler at Johnson.
"This win could be big in the regional standing because right now we are battling with Groves for the number three position, although the schedule favors our team to stay at three. If the chips fall and we win at Johnson we will definitely wrap up the number three spot."
Lady Tigers 35, Lady Bulldogs 47
Despite the Lady Tigers' loss coach Faye Baker was pleased her team did something defensively many other teams could not. They kept Beach's score low.
"Defensively I thought we did a good job," she said. "We held them to under 50 points which is a great task. But by the same token we didn't play well offensively and I guess you can attribute some of that to their defense also."
Baker said her team kept in step with the Lady Bulldogs during the first half. With three minutes left in the second quarter the Lady Tigers trailed by only one (20-19). But the Lady Bulldogs went on a nine-point run to close the half with a nine-point lead.
"The third quarter was key for us as we stopped them and did not allow them to get many points," Baker said. "But we were not able to get over that hump and we weren't able to score and that was the main difference right there."
Another constant factor with the Lady Tigers is their turnover ratio.
"Again we had 25 turnovers," Baker said. "I keep telling them we are not going to continue winning, turning the ball over that many times against good opponents."
Baker said her team lacked offensively and only one player scored in double digits.
"That shows you right there that we didn't get the offensive output that we normally get from certain players," she said.
Baker and the Lady Tigers set their sight on Johnson tonight in their last regular season game.
"Johnson has a good inside player," Baker said as she talked strategy.
"She gave us a little trouble the last time we played them here but we made some adjustments and were able to sustain her in the second half. That adjustment we made for that second half is how we are going to start our game and hopefully that can contain her and hopefully establish our defense and get our offense going again."
The loss against Beach placed the Lady Tigers in second with Beach and Groves tied for first. First place in not out of the Lady Tigers reach but it is now dependent on how the other teams place and no longer a destiny they control.
Tip-off at Johnson is at 6:30 p.m.
Tigers 70, Bulldogs 61
With Brandon Hayes back and bringing a renewed intensity, four Tigers scored in the double digits to bring down the Bulldogs of Beach in a fierce battle keeping the Tigers poised at the number three spot in 3-AAAAA behind Savannah and Johnson High.
"I think I saw a lot more intensity in this game than I saw in the last three or four games," Tiger coach Pete Woodard said. "Brandon was out for the last few games and looks like he returned and brought more intensity to the game.
"They played pretty good last night and this is the time we need to show improvement because we are getting ready to get into tournament play. This is the time other teams want to gel to send a message."
Woodard said his team showed they went to Beach to win. Jarvis Wadsworth scored 22, Hayes scored 13, Robert Sims scored 12 and Kentrell Hargrove was the other double-digit scorer with 10 points. The Tigers are now 17-7, 9-4 as they take on number two-ranked Johnson tonight at Johnson High.
"Johnson is a tall order," Woodard said, referring to Johnson's star power forward, Toby Veal.
"They could easily be number one in the region give or take a few breaks against Savannah. Although Savannah is at the top of the region I would put those two teams in a hat and on any night you pull out one and you got a winner."
As Woodard preps his team for a battle at Johnson he said you can't take a guy like Veal out of his game. Instead Woodard said, "You just play the game and let the game come to you. Monitor and adjust your defense based on what the offense gives you. He is going to get his, as you recall they came here and we were leading with about 35 seconds left in the game and Toby hit the three and made the difference. Big time players do that when they have to."
Woodard is hoping the Tigers play the spoiler at Johnson.
"This win could be big in the regional standing because right now we are battling with Groves for the number three position, although the schedule favors our team to stay at three. If the chips fall and we win at Johnson we will definitely wrap up the number three spot."
Lady Tigers 35, Lady Bulldogs 47
Despite the Lady Tigers' loss coach Faye Baker was pleased her team did something defensively many other teams could not. They kept Beach's score low.
"Defensively I thought we did a good job," she said. "We held them to under 50 points which is a great task. But by the same token we didn't play well offensively and I guess you can attribute some of that to their defense also."
Baker said her team kept in step with the Lady Bulldogs during the first half. With three minutes left in the second quarter the Lady Tigers trailed by only one (20-19). But the Lady Bulldogs went on a nine-point run to close the half with a nine-point lead.
"The third quarter was key for us as we stopped them and did not allow them to get many points," Baker said. "But we were not able to get over that hump and we weren't able to score and that was the main difference right there."
Another constant factor with the Lady Tigers is their turnover ratio.
"Again we had 25 turnovers," Baker said. "I keep telling them we are not going to continue winning, turning the ball over that many times against good opponents."
Baker said her team lacked offensively and only one player scored in double digits.
"That shows you right there that we didn't get the offensive output that we normally get from certain players," she said.
Baker and the Lady Tigers set their sight on Johnson tonight in their last regular season game.
"Johnson has a good inside player," Baker said as she talked strategy.
"She gave us a little trouble the last time we played them here but we made some adjustments and were able to sustain her in the second half. That adjustment we made for that second half is how we are going to start our game and hopefully that can contain her and hopefully establish our defense and get our offense going again."
The loss against Beach placed the Lady Tigers in second with Beach and Groves tied for first. First place in not out of the Lady Tigers reach but it is now dependent on how the other teams place and no longer a destiny they control.
Tip-off at Johnson is at 6:30 p.m.