NewsAthleticsPre-K to 8
Middle School Tigers Finish Third in Tournament Competition
Feb 17, 2001 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Darlington’s Middle School boys basketball team completed its season with six wins and nine losses. The team continued post season competition with league tournament play Feb. 2-4.
The Middle School Tigers played their best half of the season, during their start against Trion in the first round of tournament competition. They quickly took control of the game, led going into the third quarter, 35-15, and continued the successful path to emerge victorious. Matt Stuenkel, eighth grade, led the way for the Tigers with 16 points, while Bert Collier, eighth grade, provided the defense necessary to shut down Trion’s top player.
The Trion victory placed the Tigers in the semi-final game against the number-one seeded team in the league, Chattooga. The Tigers experienced a disappointing but decent loss in overtime, in a game that would prove to be the most exciting and well-played game of the season.
After trailing 26-13 at the half, the Tigers made a furious second-half comeback. When Braxton Allen, eighth grade, made a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter, the Tigers had slashed the lead to 33-24. Late in the fourth quarter, Stuenkel hit two free throws to tie the game with less than 30 seconds left. After a basket by Chattooga, Stuenkel then tied the game, 41-41, with a baseline jumper and only two seconds on the clock. The buzzer sounded, and no one in the gym could believe the Tigers had taken the top-ranked team in the league into overtime. Chattooga won the game in overtime, but knew they had been in a battle no one would soon forget. Stuenkel ended the game with 14 points, while Zach Ware, eighth grade, added 12 points and Allen earned the team nine points. Collier contributed eight points to the competition. Lone seventh-grader on the team, Greg Phillips, played a very solid game as point guard.
The next game in the tournament series, Darlington Tigers rivals the Model Blue Devils, would determine the third-place season seat. With another exciting and gut-wrenchingly close game, the Tigers went into overtime where they outscored the blue devils 6-0. They claimed third-place status in the league. Zach Ware was the leading scorer, finishing the game with 20 points.
The Middle School Tigers played their best half of the season, during their start against Trion in the first round of tournament competition. They quickly took control of the game, led going into the third quarter, 35-15, and continued the successful path to emerge victorious. Matt Stuenkel, eighth grade, led the way for the Tigers with 16 points, while Bert Collier, eighth grade, provided the defense necessary to shut down Trion’s top player.
The Trion victory placed the Tigers in the semi-final game against the number-one seeded team in the league, Chattooga. The Tigers experienced a disappointing but decent loss in overtime, in a game that would prove to be the most exciting and well-played game of the season.
After trailing 26-13 at the half, the Tigers made a furious second-half comeback. When Braxton Allen, eighth grade, made a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter, the Tigers had slashed the lead to 33-24. Late in the fourth quarter, Stuenkel hit two free throws to tie the game with less than 30 seconds left. After a basket by Chattooga, Stuenkel then tied the game, 41-41, with a baseline jumper and only two seconds on the clock. The buzzer sounded, and no one in the gym could believe the Tigers had taken the top-ranked team in the league into overtime. Chattooga won the game in overtime, but knew they had been in a battle no one would soon forget. Stuenkel ended the game with 14 points, while Zach Ware, eighth grade, added 12 points and Allen earned the team nine points. Collier contributed eight points to the competition. Lone seventh-grader on the team, Greg Phillips, played a very solid game as point guard.
The next game in the tournament series, Darlington Tigers rivals the Model Blue Devils, would determine the third-place season seat. With another exciting and gut-wrenchingly close game, the Tigers went into overtime where they outscored the blue devils 6-0. They claimed third-place status in the league. Zach Ware was the leading scorer, finishing the game with 20 points.
