Stoutland boys end basketball district play against Halfway

The Stoutland Tigers ended their post-season play in their second round of the Class 1 District 8 Tournament against the Halfway Cardinals Wednesday night, losing 78-62. With a final combined season-post-season record of 17-9, the Tigers capped off a basketball season with a positive win-ratio despite injuries throughout the season. Going into Wednesday’s match in Humansville, the Tigers had won their first round of districts play against Climax Springs Cougars. The Halfway Cardinals, with a record of 21-4 going into the second round, had won against the Macks Creek Pirates 62-28. In the first period, the Tigers and Cardinals kept pace with one another, often maintaining a tie. By the end of the quarter, the Tigers were in the lead 18-15. Throughout this period and the subsequent ones, the fans of both teams that packed the gym roared their approval and disapproval of the goings on. The second period saw the Cardinals overtake the Tigers early on, though the Tigers did break into the twenties. The Cardinals improved upon their turnover ability in this quarter and ultimately maintained a lead of 35-31 by half time. In the third period, the Tigers followed close behind the Cardinals as they climbed the scoreboard. #00 Will Morrow scored most frequently during this period, and #1 Michael Kincaid, #10 Landon Martin and #12 Isaac Hill also contributed. At period’s end, the score stood 56-51 in the Cardinals’ favor. The Tigers began to slow down in the fourth period as the Cardinals continued to plow forward. Stoutland was not without points, and free throws contributed to the team’s final score. By the time the buzzer sounded, however, the Cardinals stood triumphant. Later, Stoutland Coach Joe Nicholson noted that injuries sustained throughout the season, including ones from a January car crash, an ACL tear, and a high ankle strain, hindered the team’s ability to compete through the season and against Halfway. That said, he was satisfied with the team’s performance considering the circumstances. “I’m happy with the overall effort,” Nicholson said of the team’s performance during the game. On the Lady Tigers side, they won their first round of districts against Tuscumbia 75-26 and lost their second round against St. Elizabeth 64-36 on Thursday. They ended with a combined season-post-season record of 17-9.