Boys basketball loses two by same score

The Mountain Home Tigers let two games get away from them last week, losing to Bishop Kelly and Emmett by identical 54-52 scores in conference boys basketball.

Bishop Kelly 54

Mtn. Home 52

Anthony Loisate sank two free throws with 0.2 seconds left to lift the Bishop Kelly Knights past the Mountain Home Tigers 54-52 last Tuesday night in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium in Mountain Home.

The loss was a tough one for the Tigers, who battled to a 15-15 first-quarter tie, and then took the lead in the second quarter on their way to a 27-19 halftime lead.

The third quarter saw the Tigers extend their lead to 10 points on a couple occasions early, but Bishop Kelly hit three treys in the quarter to creep back within two, 40-38, heading into the fourth quarter.

D.J. Elliott hit a trey to push the Tiger lead to 43-38 early in the fourth, but Wyatt Murie answered with a trey for Bishop Kelly to bring them back within two. Danny Snelgrow and Nick Brady then exchanged threes as the score moved to 46-44.

D.J. Elliott scored to push the lead to four, 48-44, with 5:17 left, but Anthony Loisate made it a two-point game again, with 4:50 left. Nick Brady then connected on a trey that gave the Knights the lead with four minutes left.

D.J. Elliott sank two free throws to give the Tigers the lead back, but Jacob Kartes canned a three to give the Knights a 52-50 lead.

Brock Morris scored with 1:32 left to tie the game at 52-52. The score stayed at 52-52 until the final seconds, with both teams missing out on opportunities to score.

Mountain Home's last time down the floor ended in a jump ball, with the possession going to Bishop Kelly with 7.0 seconds left.

The Knights called a time out with 2.8 seconds left, and got the ball to Anthony Loisate, who drove to the basket, his shot was blocked, but a foul was called with 0.2 seconds left. Loisate sank both free throws, and Mountain Home tried to pass it down the length of floor to get a shot off, but time ran out, the Knights escaping with a 54-52 win.

"It was a battle," said Tiger head coach Tony Kerfoot after the game. "They made a lot of big shots. I was kind of unhappy with our defense, because we knew exactly where they were going with the ball, and they went there and we weren't there. We've got a lot of work to do defensively. They had mainly two main scorers, and they got open an awful lot. We didn't get out very well on them."

Danny Snelgrow and D.J. Elliott both scored in double figures for the Tigers. Snelgrow scored 12, and Elliott, 11. Alex Campbell added nine, Logan Monasterio six, Chris Maholick had four, Dallin Dean and Jared Sexauer, Trevor Woodruff, Deion Brown and Brock Morris each scored two points.

Mountain Home hit just 20 percent (4/20) of their three-point shots, and 43 percent (15/35) of their two-pointers. They did hit 71 percent (10/14) of their free throws.

Bishop Kelly shot a blazing 50 percent (10/20) on long balls and 45 percent (10/22) inside the arc. They shot just 40 percent (4/10) from the foul line.

Mountain Home won the battle of the boards, 29-24, with Alex Campbell leading the way with nine rebounds.

Emmett 54

Tigers 52

Adam Guerra sank two free throws with 2.8 seconds left to lead the Emmett Huskies past the Mountain Home Tigers, 54-52, Friday night at Emmett in an SIC boys basketball game.

The score was the same as last Tuesday night's game with Bishop Kelly, and ended the same, with the opponents sinking free throws to win it.

The game was a close one all the way, with six lead changes and 10 ties on the night. Emmett led 12-9 after a quarter and the Tigers went ahead three times in the second quarter, with Mountain Home up 27-25 at halftime.

Mountain Home stretched the lead to seven points twice in the third, 34-27, and 39-32 -- that with 2:31 left in the third quarter. Emmett tied the game at 39-39 after three quarters, part of a 13-0 run that carried the Huskies to a 45-39 lead.

D.J. Elliott scored with 4:35 left in the game to break the Emmett run, and the Tigers managed to battle back and tie the game at 46-46, 48-48, and finally, 52-52, on a basket by Trevor Woodruff with 11 seconds left.

Emmett's Adam Guerra was fouled with 2.8 seconds left in the backcourt, and Guerra sank both free throws to put the Huskies up 54-52.

Emmett then called time out to set up their defense and Mountain Home called a timeout once they saw what Emmett came out to defend.

The Tigers' inbounds pass came to D.J. Elliott who dribbled down and put up a 3-pointer at the buzzer that was off, the Huskies escaping with the 54-52 win.

"We had some spurts and played through some rough times, got it together and came back and got it tied, and then we forget what we're doing I guess -- I don't know, they're kids," said Coach Kerfoot in radio comments after the game.

Alex Campbell led the Tigers scoring with 13 points, Trevor Woodruff had a season-high 11 points. Chris Maholick added eight, D.J. Elliott and Brock Morris both scored six, Danny Snelgrow five and Logan Monasterio three.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 3-4 in conference and 4-8 overall. They are at the half-way point of their conference schedule, starting the second time through this weekend, hosting Middleton on Friday night and traveling to Nampa on Saturday night.

"Where we think we should be and where we are, are a lot different," said Coach Kerfoot. "Maybe we'll see a little bit better work ethic from now on. We're cutting it too close to the thread. We've got to play smart and we've got to be into it mentally, and I think that starts on practice days, also."