Tigers win a tight one: Edge C?town at home

Robert Harris of the Irving College Tigers puts up a shot over Centertown?s Nathan Bombard (41) and Gabriel Walkup during Monday night?s game.

Working hard to prevent the Warriors from getting the ball inside, the homestanding Tigers? defensive efforts paid off early, as they turned several errant passes by Centertown into points and claimed a 10-0 lead five minutes into the game.

Up 11-2 by the first quarter?s end, the Tigers saw their lead dwindle by halftime, as Centertown closed the period with a 9-0 run. The Warriors struggled at the free-throw stripe, however, missing four attempts, and went into the halftime locker room down 15-11.

A Gabriel Walkup jumper with 2:42 to play in the third gave Centertown its first lead at 17-15, but another 0-for-4 quarter at the line cost the Warriors their chance to keep their lead, as Robert Harris scored twice for Irving College late in the period, which ended with the foes evenly matched at 19-19.

Harris and Justin Woodlee gave the Tigers a 25-19 lead through the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, while on the other end Centertown struggled, missing its first four attempts from the floor. Jonathan Burton put the home squad up 27-22 with three minutes to play, but those would prove to be Irving College?s final points as Centertown went on a five-point tear.

Rebounding a missed Harris free throw with 14 seconds to play, the Warriors drove downcourt for a potential game-tying shot, but Harris blocked Jacob Weddington?s effort and grabbed the ball. He was called for traveling, giving possession back to the Warriors with 1.5 seconds left, but although Centertown was able to get the ball in to Braxton Hillis, a swarm of Tiger defenders closed in, preventing him from a last-second shot attempt.

The Warriors ? who hit just eight of their 16 attempts from the free-throw line ? were led by Walkup?s 12-point night, while Ethan Wilson had six and Hillis had five. Dustin Prater rounded out Centertown?s effort with two points.

Harris paced the Tigers with a dozen points of his own, while Burton had seven. Woodlee, Lee Wade, Zack Rubley and Krystoffer Williamson had two points each.