Eagles soar into tourney semifinals
Holding their opponents from Irving College to just three baskets over a two-period span helped Morrison pull away on its way to a victory Monday night at the county basketball tournament.
The Eagles, who trailed 6-1 to the Tigers in the early going, came back to tie the score by the first period’s end and took an eight-point edge heading into the fourth, eventually advancing to the semifinals with a 37-25 win.
Kyle Rutledge led the way for Morrison with a dozen points, while Alan Lalonde scored 10, including a 3-pointer and a putback of a missed shot which ended the first half with the Eagles on top 15-12.
Krystoffer Williams scored early in the third for the Tigers, trimming the Eagle lead to a single point, but Irving College came up empty for the remainder of the quarter, allowing Morrison to go ahead 22-15. The Tigers pulled within five midway through the fourth, but Rutledge scored seven unanswered points, including a three-point play, to help nail down the win for Morrison.
Zach York added five points to the winning effort, while Jaziel Macias scored four.
Irving College’s Justin Woodlee finished with a dozen points, including six of his team’s 11-point fourth-quarter total, while Sam Shay had five and Chris Keegan scored four.
Morrison moved on to face top-seeded Eastside, in a game which will be played Thursday at approximately 7:30.