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Tigers fall to Pine City, Hinckley-FinlaysonBy Danielle Strenke The Rush City boys basketball squad looked hesitant in a 64-47 loss to Pine City Jan. 6. The Tigers missed 80 percent of attempts from outside the arc, and were caught making careless passes that resulted in several unanswered points by the Dragons. Both teams used tough defense to hold the scoring to a minimum throughout the first half. The first quarter ended with the Tigers holding a 14-13 edge, before Pine City came back and took over the lead in the last minutes of the half at 29-25. The Dragons picked up the pace of their game in the third quarter, hitting 3 three-pointers within a minute on consecutive possessions to extend its lead to 52-41 going into the fourth quarter. Rush City had its lowest scoring quarter of the game in the fourth, with only 6 points. Pine City added 12 to go away with the 64-47 win. ìOur shooting was again our downfall, shooting 20 percent from beyond the arc,î he said. The Tigers were 16 of 32 for 50 percent in two-point attempts. Senior Travis Kemen came out of the game early in the first half after getting hit in the face and receiving a bloodied nose. Senior Josh Erickson replaced Kemen in the game, and proved to be both a defensive nuisance to Pine City and an effective addition on offense, scoring 5 points for the Tigers. Kemen returned to the lineup later in the half. Senior Tim Karnick led the squad with 12 points, followed by seniors Kevin Bengtson and Brent Freeman with 7 apiece. Seniors Kris Guentzel and Kellin Sybrant added 6 each. Guentzel also tallied 5 rebounds, while Bengtson had 3 rebounds and 5 assists. The Tigers put on one of its best defensive showings of the year last Friday, despite coming away with a 60-51 loss to Hinckley-Finlayson. The Jaguars took the 17-12 edge after one quarter and were able hold the lead throughout the game. After trailing 29-22 at the half, the Tigers matched Hinckley 13-13 in the third quarter, going into the fourth quarter trailing 42-35. The Tigers notched 16 in the final stanza, but gave up 18 as Hinckley went on to win 60-51. Rush Cityís defensive play was a highlight in the game, out-rebounding the Jags 40-25 including 21 offensive boards. The defense was led by Karnick with 16 rebounds and Guentzel with 12. Bengtson had a big night for Rush City, leading with 19 points. Guentzel added 11 points and Sybrant had 9. The Tigers hope to break a 5-game losing streak Friday, Jan. 16 as the squad travels to Onamia, and then take on Mora Saturday, Jan. 17 on the road. ©ECM Post Review |