JV Tigers win home opener
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- Published on Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Ben Perrett puts in a lay up during the second quarter of the NACI Tigers/ William Morton JV game on Dec. 12.
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
The junior varsity boys basketball season has tipped off for the Neepawa Tigers, with an impressive 78-54 win over the William Morton Warriors.
The game started slowly with both teams trading chances, but couldn't find the proper tempo early on. It wasn’t until the end of the first quarter, when NACI was able to find some separation with a few late baskets from number 32, Parker Roe to make it 23-15 for the Tigers.
Shifting into the second, the Warriors were able to register a quick start by scoring the first four points of the quarter. William Morton also kept the Tigers locked down initially by coming up with several steals. Unfortunately, they were unable to take advantage with points to climb back into contention. After that rough start, Neepawa settled down and began once again setting the pace. That effort was led by Ben Perrett who put away 12 of the Tigers’ 21 points to expand their lead to 46-27 at the half.
Heading into the second half, Neepawa once again found itself dealing with a very slow start, as the Warriors outscored them 8-1 in the first 3:45 of the third quarter. By the mid-way mark of the third, NACI started to get back into a rhythm, matching William Morton basket for basket to close out the third. That would make it a 59-42 score heading into the final quarter.
For the fourth quarter, NACI settled down, playing a strong defensive strategy, handcuffing any offensive efforts the Warriors were trying to put forward. That defensive blanket forced William Morton to take more chances with the ball to catch up. But that only allowed NACI to take advantage with multiple takeaways, which opened up the court for some relay passes and fast breaks. Neepawa’s bench closed out the game, taking advantage of their opportunities with a couple late game steals and baskets, making the final score 78-54.
Ben Perrett lead the Tigers in scoring with 23 points, while L. Kennedy came up huge for William Morton with 32 of the Warriors’ 54 points. If the action seen during the first game of the year is any indication, the JV Tigers should be a very exciting team to watch over the season.
