Tigers open year with two losses

The Mountain Home Tigers headed into the new year with some New Year resolutions, chief of which is putting a stop to a losing skid that has now reached seven.

The Tigers opened 4A Southern Idaho Conference play last week with home losses to Caldwell and Kuna.

Caldwell 52

Mountain Home 44

Like the bashful suitor seeking the pretty girl's hand, the Mountain Home Tigers stuck around and stayed close, but came away on the short end of their conference opener last Tuesday night in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium.

Mountain Home managed 2-2 and 4-4 ties, but were down 16-10 after a quarter.

They took their only lead of the night in the second quarter after back-to-back treys by Jarrod Roberson put the Tigers up 19-18 with 5:11 left in the half, but Mario Betancourt answered with a trey for Caldwell -- one of five in the game for the 5' 7" junior -- and the Cougars were back in the lead, 21-19.

A basket by Steven Oslward tied the game at 21-21, but Caldwell went on top 25-21 at the half.

The Tigers were unable to get any closer than two in the third, and trailed 40-36 heading into the final quarter.

They fell down by 10 in the fourth, and came up short, 52-44.

"I thought we played fairly tough," said Tiger basketball coach Tony Kerfoot in radio comments after the game. "Defensively, we actually met our defensive goals, but we didjn't get our offensive goals. I thought we played pretty hard defensively. We took a lot of things away.

"We knew we couldn't leave (Mario) Betancourt open for a second, and it was only brief seconds that he was open. That was his best scoring performance of the year. I thought those four threes that he hit in the first half, that was the difference right there.

"We actually played pretty good defense all the way through and kept him out of things, but then a loose ball and we start to go for it, and they get it and kick it out to him and he's open for a second and buries a three.

"You've got to give it to them on making their shots, and they defended us well, too. They had tough defense."

Brock Zamora, Jarrod Roberson and Keith Yagues all scored in double figures, with Zamora and Roberson both scoring 12, Yagues, 11. The rest of the team contributed just nine points combined, as Brian Fields scored four, Steven Oswald and Matt Maurer, two each, and Trevor Lawson, one.

Both teams connected on seven treys. Mountain Home attempted 27, hitting 26 percent, while Caldwell put up 17 and shot 41 percent.

Mountain Home shot 44 percent (11/25) inside the arc, while the Cougars hit nine of 20 (45 percent).

The telling stat of the game: Mountain Home only went to the line five times, and converted just once (20 percent), while the Cougars hit 13 of 18 for 72 percent.

Kuna 62

Mountain Home 44

The Tigers managed only eight percent shooting on three-pointers Thursday night, as they lost to the Kavemen at home in conference play.

They trailed by two, 12-10, after a quarter, and stayed close most of the second period before a 6-0 run put the Kavemen up 26-19 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Kuna beat the Tigers' press time and time again for easy baskets, as they built their lead to 52-35 heading into the final quarter.

The closest Mountain Home came after that was 13 points -- 52-39 -- before the Kavemen stretched their lead to 21 points.

"We couldn't make anything tonight," said Coach Kerfoot after the game. "I think that was part of it .

"We had some defensive errors, but you're not going to hold everybody under 50 points, and if you can't learn to score that, we're in trouble.

"Generally, we've had someone who would get hot, but tonight, quite a few guys were getting shots and getting good looks, but the shots weren't dropping.

"We're probably trying to rely on too much perimeter stuff, but we don't really have an inside threat right now, and we've got to develop that."

Brock Zamora led the Tigers with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Matt Maurer added eight points. Steven Oswald and Michael Hinton both recorded new season highs, Oswald, seven points, Hinton, six. Jarrod Roberson added four points, Brian Fields, three, and Trevor Lawson, one.

Mountain Home only connected on two of 24 (8 percent) three-pointers, while hitting 40 percent (16/40) inside the arc. Only six of 13 (46 percent) free throw attempts made it through the net.

Kuna shot only 23 percent (3/13) long range, but made good on 49 percent (20-41) inside. They shot only 42 per (13/31) from the charity stripe.

Mountain Home did out rebound the taller Kuna team, 40-36, led by Brock Zamora's 11 boards.

The Tigers have their work cut out for them this weekend, hosting Skyview Friday night, and traveling to Bishop Kelly on Saturday night, both games conference encounters.

"Skyview's probably the best in the league," Kerfoot said, discussing this weekend's opponents.

"They're probably a little bit better than the last couple of teams we've played.

Bishop Kelly's another tough team, but where Skyview goes 6 9", 6' 4", 6' 4", 6' 2". With B.K. we'll at least be their own size. They are a very good team. Their guards are really good -- that's their asset. They go 6' 4" and 6' 2" in their guards, so they''re not only big, but they're good."