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The Smithville Tigers basketball squad suffered two gut-wrenching defeats last week.
With the loss, the Tigers dropped to 3-5 and fifth in district standings. The good news: Smithville is only one game back from the fourth ranked Taylor Ducks, meaning their playoff hopes are still very much alive.
Their Jan. 24 matchup against the Manor New Tech Titans featured wild momentum swings and an overtime finish. Both teams traded blows early on, resulting in a 13-11 lead for the Titans after the first quarter.
The Titans then broke the game open in the second quarter. They exploded offensively while keeping the Smithville offensive in check, outsourcing the Tigers 27-9 to take a commanding 40-19 lead into halftime.
The game reverted back to both teams exchanging baskets to open up the second half. Thus, the Titans maintained a comfortable 19-point lead with just one quarter left to play, setting the stage for an unbelievable comeback.
The Tigers dug deep and played nearly flawless down the stretch. They scored a flurry of points in the blink of an eye and made crucial stops. Smithville outscored Manor New Tech 30-12 in the final eight minutes to force overtime.
In the overtime period, the Titans made just a few more key plays to win 73-70.
Tigers guard Ramonz Adamas lit up the stat sheet, scoring 23 points to go with nine rebounds and three assists. Joseph Mokry was also brilliant. The senior forward had 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Jacoby Brown and Tristian Garcia contributed with a combined 21 points and eight assists.
On Friday, Jan. 27, The Tigers looked to redeem themselves in a road contest versus the Giddings Buffaloes. The game turned out to be another nail biter but much more of a defensive battle.
Buckets were hard to come by in the first quarter, but the Tigers found their groove in the second quarter and led 23-12 at the break. The Tigers remained in control and were up 13 with eight minutes left to play.
The Buffaloes suddenly caught fire, however, and stormed back into the game. They outscored the Tigers 22-6 in the final quarter, resulting in a 43-39 win for Giddings.
Mokry, once again, performed at an elite level, tallying 23 points and 12 rebounds. Brown also crashed the boards en route to 10 rebounds to go along with four points. Adams scored seven points and dished out seven assists.
The Tigers have opportunities against Austin Achieve (Jan. 31) and Taylor (Feb. 3) this week to move back into playoff contention.
