IAC BOYS BASKETBALL: TIOGA PULLS OUT 62-55 WIN AT UNION SPRINGS (12 PHOTOS) (2022-01-14)
Valley Sports ReportUNION SPRINGS — Tioga let an eight-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter, but closed the game with a 11-3 run to pull out a 62-55 win over Union Springs here Friday night in IAC Small School crossover boys basketball action.
“I’m very happy the guys were able to keep their composure after giving up a 8-point lead midway through the fourth quarter,” said Tioga coach Brian Card. “We kept our composure and finished the game strong.”
The Tigers, who started the season at 1-4, have won three in a row to improve to 6-6.
Sophomore Ethan Perry led Tioga with 24 points and five 3-pointers, while sophomore Evan Sickler had 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, sophomore Gavin Fisher had seven points, senior Gavin Godfrey added six points, and senior Josh Reis chipped in with five points.
“As a team we shot the ball well tonight,” said Card.
“Ethan (Perry) did a great job shooting tonight,” he noted. “And, Sickler had a big first half offensively.”
Sickler canned a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points in the first quarter, and Reis and sed senior Casey Stoughton added 3-pointers to help Tioga to a 16-11 lead after the first eight minutes.
Perry drained a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter, and scored eight points, and Sickler added four points, but the Wolves outscored Tioga, 15-14, to pull within four points, at 30-26, at the half.
Perry made two more 3-pointers in the third quarter and scored eight more points, but Union Springs again outscored Tioga, 15-14, to close the gap to 44-41 heading into the final eight minutes.
Perry scored five points early in the fourth quarter in an 8-3 spurt that gave Tioga a 51-43 lead midway through the final stanza.
Jose Reyes canned a pair of 3-pointers and Hunter Martin also knocked down a trey in a 9-0 spurt that gave the Wolves a 52-51 lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in the game.
Fisher answered with a drive to the bucket, which resulted in an old-fashioned three-point play to give Tioga the lead for good, at 55-53.
After a jumper from the elbow by Godfrey, Sickler and Perry combined to make six of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Reyes hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to provide the final margin.
Reyes led Union Springs with 23 points, including six 3-pointers, and Damon Brown scored 21.
Both teams connected on nine 3-pointers in the game.
“I was happy with how well we defended the 3-point line tonight as a team,” said Card. “We are finally starting to buy into the stuff we work on in practice.
“If we can continue to transition the stuff we work on in practice we’re just going to keep getting better,” added Card.
Tioga travels to Candor Tuesday.
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IN PHOTO: Tioga’s Ethan Perry. ... PHOTOS COURTESY OF CRISTINA ROSSI.
