Big Start by Cole Hardy Lifts Tigers; Weston Hill Boards Career High 10

Cole Hardy got off to a big start for the junior high Tigers, and they held off a physical St. Gregory's team 38-21 Monday. Weston Hill matched the Falcons' physicality and grabbed a career-high 10 boards for the Tigers, who kept their undefeated season intact with the win.

Hardy scored off a drive, then added a tip and steal to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead. He added a free throw before Beckett Budden countered to get the Falcons on the board. Weston Hill knocked one down inside and Cole Hardy hit from the top of the key to make it 10-2 after one.

The game turned into a brutal slugfest, with the Falcons helping out hard every time Worth County tried to attack the rim. But Cole seemed to thrive in the adversity, getting another free throw, hitting a 3-pointer, and hitting a free throw off a steal to make it 15-4 at the half.

Cole Hardy had 13 of the Tigers' 15 points at the half. They finally got someone else on the board as Weston Hill got open twice backdoor and scored three straight to open the third quarter. That seemed to open up everything else. Hudson Cameron got on the board with a drive and then Cole Hardy hit two more free throws as the Falcons were hammering him and Cole every time they tried to attack the paint. That made it 22-4.

St. Gregory's finally started to rally as Beckett Budden got open twice and Ryver Stiens hit two triples as the Falcons closed to within 28-14. Hudson Cameron hit a pair of free throws to start the fourth, but Braxten Blackford countered with a 3-pointer and Budden got loose inside to make it 30-19. 

Hudson Cameron finally got going to restore order for the Tigers, cutting inside and getting a pass from Jarrett Gilland to stop the bleeding. Cole Hardy got a putback and Hudson Cameron scored four more points to make it 38-21.

Cole Hardy had 17 points. Hudson Cameron had 13, Weston Hill 5, Gunnar Smith 2, and Max Hiatt 1.

Weston Hill and Hudson Cameron had 1 blocked shot.

Weston Hill had 10 boards. Cole Hardy and Hudson Cameron had 2 each, and Jarrett Gilland, Gunnar Smith, Silas Brown, and Max Hiatt had 1.

Cole Hardy had 4 assists. Jarrett Gilland had 3, Hudson Cameron 2, and Max Hiatt 1.

Hudson Cameron had 11 tips. Cole Hardy had 7, Max Hiatt 4, Jarrett Gilland 3, and Weston Hill 2.

Hudson Cameron had 6 steals. Max Hiatt had 5, Cole Hardy 4, and Jarrett Gilland and Weston Hill 1.

The "B" team got a 3-pointer from Luca Sagle right off the bat, but the rest of the quarter belonged to the Falcons. Kody Gockel got a steal, Braxten Blackford added three points, and Code Jaster added a free throw as St. Gregory's got the 6-3 win. 

Desmond Dannar and Mason Hern had 2 boards. Payton Stephenson, Emmett Frisch, Jace Mullock, and Zaiden Chipps each had 1.

Mason Hern had 1 assist.

Jace Mullock, Luca Sagel, Mason Hern, and Payton Stephenson had 1 tip each. Luca Sagel, Lane Pickering, and Payton Stephenson had 1 steal each.