Fannett-Metal (4-6) jumped out to a 15-10 lead in the first quarter over the visiting Bulldogs from Claysburg-Kimmel. The Tigers moved the ball well and penetrated to the basket against the Bulldogs triangle and 2 defense. Broc Hoster hit for 9 points in the opening frame to pace the Tigers. In the second quarter the Tigers offense missed too many open shots while the Bulldogs found some rhythm to take a 24-23 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Tigers worked the ball inside, with Landon Arnold, Evan Wingert, and Colton Daniel all scoring in the paint. Broc Hostler knocked down a couple jumpers and Jake Coffman drilled a trey to complete the scoring in the 3rd quarter. But the Bulldogs kept pace as they still led 41-39 after three quarters of play. With 6:00 minutes to go, the Bulldogs Brayden Haney knocked down back-to-back long-range three-pointers to push the Bulldog’s lead to 48-39. The momentum shifted at that point and the Tigers never recovered as the Bulldogs pulled away late in the quarter to secure the 62-46 victory. “We need to find some confidence late in games and dig a little deeper to finish these games in the 4th quarter. These boys play too hard to let these winnable games slip away”, Coffman said.
The Tigers were out rebounded by the Bulldogs 20-13. The Bulldogs were 10 for 15 from the foul line while the Tigers were 5 for 8. The Bulldogs had 20 turnovers. The Tigers shot 40% from the floor but only 15% behind the arch.
Broc Hostler and Landon Arnold paced the Tigers with 13 points and 5 rebounds each. Evan Wingert chipped in 9 points and 2 rebounds. Colton Daniel had 5 points. Jake Coffman and Gage McClure both knocked down treys. Coffman had 5 assists. Haney led the Bulldogs with 36 points.
The Tigers host Forbes Road on Monday.