Lady Tigers score back to back wins

Earlier this season the Mountain Home Lady Tigers won for the first time since the 2002-2003 season.

Last Tuesday night at Jerome the Mountain Home girls did something that hadn't happened since the 2001-2002 season: win two games in a row.

Mountain Home 35

Jerome 27

Mountain Home used a big fourth quarter to pull away at Jerome last Tuesday for the win.

Mountain Home led, 8-6, after a quarter and were up 14-11, at the half, and took an 18-17 lead into the final period. The shots went down for Mountain Home in the fourth, and, after losing the lead briefly in the the period, a three-pointer by Erica Stanton helped them regain the lead with 2:25 left, at which point they pulled away for the 35-27 win.

"The girls played great!" said Mountain Home Lady Tiger basketball coach Brian English. "We played good defense all game long. We led all game except for about two minutes in the fourth quarter when we were down by three, but the girls never gave up and jumped right back in it."

Erica Stanton, Marquina Gillium and Ali Hillman each scored 10 points to lead Mountain Home in the win. Jessica Egusquiza added six points, Lisa Kellerman scored three, and Teysena Chatman contributed two.

Mountain Home won the battle of the boards, 47-38. Lisa Kellerman brought down 11 rebounds, Ali Hillman collected 10.

Mountain Home shot just 25 percent (12/48) from the field, and hit one of three (33 percent) treys.

The Lady Tigers connected on 10 of 22 (46 percent) free throws.

Jerome shot a chilly 19 percent (8/41) from the field, and were just one of nine (11 percent) on threes. They did shoot 63 percent (10/16) from the foul line.

Skyview 48

Mountain Home 35

The Lady Tigers had another stellar night defensively, but again struggled shooting the ball in their 48-35 loss at Skyview last Thursday night.

The Lady Tigers trailed just 10-9 after a quarter and 18-15 at the half, but Skyview outscored them 30-20 in the second half to pull away for the win.

"You can't shoot 19 percent and beat anyone," lamented Coach English. "We played good defense, but just nothing on offense."

Jessica Egusquiza and Marquina Gillium paced the Lady Tigers with nine points apiece, the number a new season high for Egusquiza. Ali Hillman scored seven points and brought down 10 rebounds. Erica Stanton added four points, and Lisa Kellerman and Erin Mullen both scored three points.

Mountain Home shot just 19 percent (10/53) from the field, and 22 percent (2/9) long range. They shot 50 percent (13/26) from the free-throw line.

Skyview shot 31 percent (15/48) from the field, and were 29 percent (4/14) on treys, and shot 54 percent (14/26) from the foul line.

Mountain Home 48

Bishop Kelly 45

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and yes, Virginia, the Mountain Home Lady Tigers are for real.

They proved that to the Lady Knights from Bishop Kelly, if not, hopefully, themselves Saturday night, when they stormed back from 11 points down to upset Bishop Kelly, 48-45, in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium in Mountain Home.

Mountain Home led early, 3-2, but a trey by Lindsay Brady gave Bishop Kelly the lead, 5-3, and they moved on out to a 15-9 lead after a quarter.

Bishop Kelly increased their lead to 10, 20-10, midway through the second period, but Mountain Home went on a 7-0 run to cut the margin to just three, 20-17. Back came the Lady Knights with a 7-0 run of their own to make it 27-17, Bishop Kelly, at the half.

A trey by Lindsay Brady in the third quarter gave the Lady Knights their biggest lead, 32-21, but Mountain Home went on a 13-2 run to tie it at 34-34, heading into the fourth quarter.

Lisa Kellerman scored to put the Lady Tigers up, 36-34, to start the fourth quarter. Abby Gerke hit two baskets in the next minute and a half to put Bishop Kelly up, 38-36, with 5:40 left.

Erin Mullen scored to tie it at 38-38, but Gerke and Amaia Enrico scored to put Bishop Kelly up, 42-38.

Jessica Egusquiza hit a trey to cut the deficit to one, 42-41, with 4:15 left. Some 30 seconds later, she buried another one, and the Lady Tigers were up, 44-42. Lisa Kellerman hit two free throws with 2:21 left to make it 46-42, Mountain Home.

Great defense kept Bishop Kelly from scoring, and Erica Stanton hit two free throws with 54 seconds left to make it 48-42.

Stefanie Loisate canned a trey with four seconds to cut the lead in half, but Mountain Home ran out the clock for a 48-45 win.

"What a game! What a game!" exclaimed a happy Coach English in radio comments after the game.

"The girls did a wonderful, wonderful job! I can't say enough about it. We played some great defense in the second half, and that's our thing, if we can play defense, we can play with anybody. All you can ask a team to do is play as hard as they can. Ali (Hillman) did a wonderful job on the boards tonight. She was a monster under there. I thought Marquina (Gillium) did a good job running the game. Erica Stanton stepped up big and did some scoring for us. All the things we needed to have happen, happened, and we got a little luck at the end, too, and that was a big win for us."

Erica Stanton and Jessica Egusquiza both scored in double figures. Stanton scored 11, Egusquiza a season-high 10. Lisa Kellerman and Ali Hillman both added eight points -- a new season and career high for Kellerman -- Marquina Gillium added six points Kaleena Bluemer and Erin Mullin both scored two, and Sammy Dodge added one.

Mountain Home shot 50 percent from the field, hitting on 18 of 36 shots for the game, including 12 of 17 (71 percent) second half.

The Lady Tigers hit two of six (33 percent) three-pointers, and 10 of 15 (67 percent) free throws.

Bishop Kelly shot a decent 43 percent (19/44) from the field, and were 56 percent (5/9) on treys, but only 20 percent (2/10) at the free throw line.

Mountain Home out rebounded Bishop Kelly 24-19, with Ali Hillman bringing down 12 rebounds.

The Lady Tigers took a 3-2 conference record and 4-7 overall mark into last night's home conference game against Emmett. Next action for Mountain Home is January 5, when they host Vallivue at home in conference play.