Caleb Riordan | Ameritime Sports Writer
The Festus Tigers beat the Crystal City Hornets 70-58 on Tuesday for their fourth straight win. The Tigers have now won their last nine matchups with the Hornets dating back to 2014.
Festus kept Crystal City at a distance and ultimately came out with the win, but they battled some adversity and had trouble knocking down shots.
“We shot the ball incredibly poor tonight,” Head Coach Jason Therrell said. “But we came out with a double-digit road win. We are doing our best to try and keep getting better as the season progresses.”
The Tigers did a good job of containing the Hornets’ offense. They allowed them to score 11 points in the first and only eight points in the second. Festus held an 11-point lead at the half. Crystal did however make some adjustments at halftime and had better luck in the second. They improved on both of their first two quarters when they scored 17 in the third and 22 in the fourth. Festus was able to outpace them over the course of the game. Despite not shooting the ball well, they found a way to score 70 points.
“Just getting out in transition and finishing plays at the rim,” Collin Reando said. “We were very inconsistent last night from the free-throw line and three-point line. So it was key that we were able to finish those plays in transition.”
Connor Westhoff doubled-down on Reando’s claim.
“Just getting offensive rebounds and pushing the floor,” he said were the biggest factors in the win.
Arhmad Branch finished with his season-high in points with 22. Reando was just behind with 18 points. Cole Rickermann scored 15 points of his own.
The win bumped the Tigers’ record to 12-4. They have won 11 of their last 13 games and continue to successfully battle through their schedule. They have not let the many distractions a season can present stray them from their goal.
Festus will look to make it five wins in a row against the Perryville Pirates on Friday, Jan. 22. This is the Tigers’ Senior Night. Seniors Reando, Desmond Davis and JD McDowell will celebrate their Festus basketball careers and make it a night to remember.
