Stuart boys hold off cold-shooting Tupelo

Feb. 15—TUPELO — The cold-shooting Tupelo boys couldn't find enough offensive production in a 43-35 loss to Stuart in a Class B District Tournament championship contest at home on Saturday.

Tupelo fell into consolation play at 16-10 on the year, while the Hornets improved to 21-6.

"We struggled shooting it in both games in Districts," Tupelo boys head coach Clay Weller admitted. "We held Stuart to 43 points. If you had told me that before the game, I would bet on a win every time."

Tupelo will travel to Stringtown today and face the hometown Tigers at 2:30 p.m. in a Class B Regional Tournament elimination game. Stringtown is 18-9 after dropping a 55-33 decision to No. 6 Kinta in a district tournament contest.

Stuart 43, Tupelo 35

The game was knotted at 13-all after the first quarter but Tupelo managed just five points in the second quarter and trailed 25-18 at halftime.

Both teams scored 10 points in the third period and Stuart held a slim 8-7 edge in the final quarter to keep the Tigers at bay.

Colton Bourland led all scorers with 16 points for Tupelo, including a 3-point basket. Big man Jonny Park was next with 11 points. The Tigers got five points from Michael Waters, including one triple.

Nolan Stewart paced the Stuart club with 15 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. DreVon Colbert and Nolan Lindley followed with 10 points each for the Hornets. Lindley sank two 3-point shots.

Asher teams wrap up district titles

ASHER — The Asher High School boys and girls teams rolled to a pair of Class B District championships in a pair of Saturday night home games.

The 17th-ranked Indians thumped Wapanucka 67-35 and the Asher girls buried Legacy Christian School 45-14.

Both Asher teams improved to 18-8 on the year and will face host Chattanooga in a pair of regional tournament winner's bracket games at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. tonight. The 12th-ranked Chattanooga girls enter tonight's contest at 22-5 on the year while the Chatty boys are sitting at 19-8.

BOYS

Asher 67, Wapanucka 35

The Indians held a slim 14-12 lead after the first quarter but outscored Wapanucka 19-9 in the second period to build a 33-21 halftime lead. The Indians got 3-point baskets from Andrew Overstreet, Gunnar Lehman and Mikey Vanschuyver in the second-quarter surge.

Asher took control with a 23-9 run in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 56-30.

Vanschuyver exploded for a game-high 24 points to pace the Asher club and Overstreet was right behind with 23 points. Overstreet made three 3-point baskets and Vanschuyver nailed a pair of triples.

Lehman also hit double figures with 12 points.

Carter Hilbert led Wapanucka with 14 points, including four 3-point shots. Kase Smith was next with six.

GIRLS

Asher 45, Legacy Christian 14

The Asher girls used a relentless defensive attack to shut down Legacy Christian. Asher limited the Lady Lions to just six first-half points — two in the first period and four in the second frame. Asher had built a 24-6 lead by halftime. The Lady Indians stretched their advantage to 37-7 after a 13-1 run in the third period.

Three Asher players — Alexis Johnston, Cadence Leba and Delanie Templeton — scored eight points to pace the AHS offense. Ryleigh Reeser chipped in seven points for the district champs.

Templeton hit a pair of 3-point shots for Asher and Leba made one basket from long range.

Faith Hookstallan led Legacy Christian with five points.