Tigers Topple Top-Seeded Teams To Take Tourney Title

 

The Kingsville boys basketball team ignored its No. 4 seed in the Pilot Grove Boys Basketball Tournament by taking first place in the tournament with a win over No. 2 seed Sacred Heart by the final score of 49-31 on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The tournament title victory over Sacred Heart occurred two days after the Tigers knocked off the No. 1 seed in the tournament by defeating Prairie Home in the semifinals in a 65-64 final score. That semifinal game was set up by a first-round win over No. 5 seed Northwest (Hughesville).

“We played three really good teams this week,” said Kingsville boys basketball coach Bill Adams. “All are strong programs with great coaches. Our fans really showed up with great support, and our players fed off of them. I’m really proud of our players for having a great week against the competition we played.”

In the first-place game against Sacred Heart Kingsville overcame a 6-4 lead held by the Gremlins after a quarter of play by scoring a 14-10 advantage in the second period to allow the Tigers to hold an 18-16 halftime lead.

The Tigers increased their advantage in the third quarter with Brayden Barnett, John Fleeman, and Brady Stout combining for 15 points in the period as Sacred Heart scored just six points in the frame.

The Tigers closed out the championship game by outscoring the Gremlins 16-9 in the fourth quarter as Fleeman, Stout, Christian Stevenson, and Isaac Hawthorne each contributed points in the period.

Kingsville shot 71% from two-point range, and displayed a 35-19 rebounding advantage over Sacred Heart.

Fleeman led the team in scoring with 25 points, and had a team-high 14 rebounds. Stout scored 10 points, Hawthorne totaled 6 points, Barnett finished with 5 points, and Stevenson had 3 points. Barnett also contributed 7 assists.

Tigers Push Past Panthers In Semifinals
The Tigers survived the semifinal round of the Pilot Grove Tournament by defeating Prairie Home in a 65-64 final score on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Kingsville worked back in the second half after facing a four-point deficit at halftime with the Panthers holding a 35-31 advantage at intermission.

The third quarter belonged to Kingsville with the Tigers posting a 21-13 advantage to take a four-point lead into the fourth quarter.
“Prairie Home jumped out to a quick lead and led 23-14 after the first quarter,” said coach Adams. “Prairie Home led 35-31 at the half, and Kingsville led 52-48 after three quarters.”

Kingsville weathered a 16-13 scoring advantage posted by the Panthers in the fourth period.

Tiger center John Fleeman gave Kingsville its final lead of the game after drawing a foul on a made field goal. Fleeman sank the free throw on the foul shot to set the final score at 65-64.

Following Fleeman’s old-fashioned three-point play, the Tigers weathered a flurry in the final seconds with Panther players missing multiple lay-ups as Kingsville secured its spot in the first-place game with the win.

Fleeman finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. Brady Stout contributed 17 points, Brayden Barnett scored 9 points, Christian Stevenson had 5 points, and Chase Stout scored a three-point basket to finish with 3 points. Stevenson also contributed 4 assists. Kingsville shot 53% from two-point range, and 44% from three-point range in the game to help overcome a 31-22 rebounding advantage totaled by Prairie Home.

Tigers Tame Mustangs
In first-round play in the Pilot Grove Tournament, Kingsville defeated Northwest by the final score of 54-30 on Monday, Dec. 9.

Kingsville scored a 22-11 lead in the first quarter of the game and added to the lead by posting a 15-6 advantage in the second quarter.

“We started fast and led 37-17 at the half,” said coach Adams. “We shot 49% from the field for the game, and Northwest shot 31%.”

Brady Stout scored a team-high 17 points for Kingsville. John Fleeman filled the stat lines with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Christian Stevenson hit double digits in scoring with 10 points. Chase Stout scored 4 points, Gavin Mullins had 3 points, and scoring 2 points each were Brayden Barnett and Isaac Hawthorne.

Following the title clinch in the Pilot Grove Tournament, the Kingsville boys basketball team held a record of 5-0 on the season.

The Tigers were scheduled to play their first home game of the season on Tuesday of this week with a game against Green Ridge. Game results were not available at press time. The Tigers turn around and face off against Sacred Heart once again when Kingsville plays the Gremlins in the W-K Shootout in Sedalia on Saturday, Dec. 21.