The Cheerleaders were decked in Santa hats and festive socks, the student section in Christmas attire but it was the Holgate Tigers who celebrated after Thursday nights Boys non leagues action. The Tigers found the Cove’s basket very giving on this night as they opened up the scoring by hitting a 3 which was matched by Pirate Nick States 3 pointer. A Tiger free throw was met with a States basket. A pair of Tiger 3 sandwiched a Caleb Olds basket to make it Tigers 10, Pirates 7 after 1.
The Tigers put in the first 5 points in the second to open up an 8 point difference. A pair of Olds free throws stopped the Tigers 8 point run but another 3 by the Tigers made it a 9 point Tiger advantage 18-9. Baskets by States and Reed Warnement made it Tigers 18, Pirates 13. A basket by the Tigers was met by a Mitchell Coleman 3 to make it a 4 point game 20-16 Tigers. The two teams traded baskets to finish the half with a 22-18 Tiger advantage. The Tigers hit 5 3 pointers in the first half to the Pirates 2.
The third quarter was all Pirates as Pirate Warnement opened up the scoring with an old fashioned 3 point play to make it a 1 point game. A basket by the Tigers was met by a Chris Potts 3 to tie the game at 24. A made free throw by the Tigers was followed by an Alex Hale 3 point play for the Pirates first lead since early in the first quarter 27-25. A Tiger basket and a pair of Olds free throws made it Pirates 29, Tigers 27. The Pirates finished with 2 of the last 3 points of the quarter as Olds put in a basket to make it Pirates 31, Tigers 28 after 3.
The Pirates Olds put in the first 4 points of the last quarter to expand the Pirate lead to 35-28. The Tigers put in the next 9 points of the game on a pair of 3’s and 3 free throws to retake the lead at 37-35. A basket by States tied the game at 37. Four points by the Tigers gave them the lead for good 41-37. An Olds 3 finished the Pirates scoring as the Tiger put in 2 more free throws for a 43 – 40 Tiger win.
Leading the Pirates was Caleb Olds with 15 points while Nick States put in 9. Chris Potts and Reed Warnement both put in 5 while Alex Hale and Mitchell Coleman had 3 each. Olds, Potts, States, and Coleman all hit one 3 pointer. The Pirates were 8-11 from the line and made four 3 pointers while the Tigers put in seven 3s and were 10-22 from the line.
The Pirates fall to 0-7 and will host Lima Perry on Saturday. The Tigers improve to 1-5. The game was broadcast on WPMN.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
