Tiger Boys Lose Ross, Don't Skip a Beat

Worth County boys lost Bryce Ross for at least a game to an ankle injury early in the game, but they didn't skip a beat as they beat North Nodaway 66-21 in their best game of the year. Coach Chris Healy said that improved offensive execution was the key, saying that had really improved from the Polo game. The defense improved as well as there were stretches when North Nodaway could not even get the ball across halfcourt.

Todd Harding scored from the left wing off a pass from Bryce Ross in the high post and then Harding hit Ross inside. Ross added a putback and then Alex Harmening converted a steal into a 3-point play to make it 9-0. Trent Coleman then beat the Tiger press to make it 9-2 and shortly afterwards, Ross was hurt fighting for a rebound and came out of the game. But it didn't faze Worth County as Eli Mullock found Alex Harmening in the right corner. Mullock pushed it ahead to Brian Hall, who played one of his best games so far as a Tiger, getting 12 points and showing some skill and athletic ability. Jordan Harding added a free throw and then Todd Harding got a steal and ran over a defender for the layup to make it 16-2.

Hopkins began a comeback bid aided by a 25-foot 3-pointer from #40 as the teams traded buckets for the rest of the period with Worth County leading 22-10. But then in the second quarter, North Nodaway could not even cross halfcourt for three minutes as Worth County pulled away. Jordan Harding played one of his best games as a Tiger as he repeatedly tipped passes in the backcourt on the press. Alex Harmening, Wyatt McClain, Harding, and Brian Hall all scored during that stretch as the lead grew to 30-10 before Zach Gladman's free throw broke the run with 4:31 left.

But then the Tiger bench sparked another run as Grant Parman hit a pair of free throws to start things off again. "It's good to get our bench a lot of minutes like that," said Healy, who began going to his bench at that point. "It's going to help us out in the long run when we can do that." Brian Hall then got a steal and threw it to Todd Harding for a layup and then Hall got a steal, missed the layup, but got the putback to make it 36-11.

#40 scored off a drive and added a free throw, but then Alex Harmening pushed the ball up the floor and found Eli Mullock for a layup and then Wyatt McClain threw a baseball pass to Mullock for another layup. McClain then found Todd Harding cutting inside with 2.7 seconds left to make it 42-14 at the half.

The score was stuck there for the first three minutes of the second half, but then Eli Mullock's putback got the Tigers back on track for another run. Jordan Harding found Todd Harding open for a 3-pointer and then Alex Harmening and Todd Harding scored off steals for the Tigers. Harmening then got another steal and converted it into a 3-point play for the Tigers. Hall capped the run with an inside shot with 2:16 left. North Nodaway made a brief 4-0 run, but then Wyatt McClain pushed the ball up the floor and threw up a runner that banked home to make it 58-18 after three quarters and trigger the running clock.

The Tiger second string continued to outplay the Mustangs in the fourth quarter as Todd Harding scored off a steal before coming out, Grant Parman threw a perfect skip pass to Travis Troutwine, and then Lane Craven rolled a loose ball out to Troutwine on the left wing for another score. Hall showed some skill as he buried a shot from the deep right baseline to end the scoring for Worth County.