Tigers Split Area Games
by Perry Lewter
The Ardmore Tigers picked up an area win and an area loss on the hardwoods. On Tuesday Madison County won the battle of the Tigers 73-63 while on Friday Ardmore defeated Columbia 53-47.
Ardmore 53, Columbia 47
The Ardmore Tigers used a balanced scoring attack and fourth quarter free throws to defeat the Columbia Eagles 53-47 last Friday.
Matthew Clem hit 5-of-his-6 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter to lead the Tigers. Clem added a 3-pointer that period for eight of his game high 17 points.
The Tigers never led in the first half but pulled within two twice in the second quarter. Trailing 20-12, Ardmore had baskets from Clem, Will Lewis and Feraas Al-Saba before the Eagles could score again. After a basket from Columbia’s Chris Jordan, Al-Saba’s basket cut the margin back to two, 22-20.
Ardmore scored eight unanswered points after a Columbia 3-pointer in the third quarter to pull within one, 29-28. Duron Robinson and Jake Stagner each hit a two pointer and Lewis a two pointer and two free throws before Columbia could score.
Trailing 31-29, the Tigers scored the last nine points of the third quarter and the first seven of the fourth to lead 45-31. The Tigers never trailed again.
The Eagles had a run of their own late in that period scoring six unanswered points to pull within five, 49-44. Clem hit a pair of free throws and Lewis added one to complete the Tiger scoring.
Jon McCown’s 3-pointer for Columbia ended the contest.
Robinson had 12 points and Lewis 11 for the winners. Stagner finished with eight points, Al-Saba four and James Vann Teeples two.
Madison County 73, Ardmore 63
The Madison County Tigers scored 27 fourth quarter points including 12 from the free throw line to get a 73-63 come-from-behind win over visiting Ardmore last Tuesday.
Ardmore’s Tigers never lead in the first half after jumping to a 12-4 lead.
Leading 20-13 after one quarter, Ardmore had a basket apiece from Landon Curtis and Jake Stagner. The Madison County Tigers scored the next eight points. By the end of that quarter Ardmore led 33-25.
Even though Ardmore never trailed in the third quarter, their largest lead was five, 51-46, after a basket from Feraas Al-Saba and a pair of free throws from Stagner to end the quarter.
In the fourth quarter the score was tied at 55-55. Stagner hit a pair of free throws before Madison County’s Tigers scored the next six points. Will Lewis hit two one-pointers and Madison County scored eight unanswered points.
Stagner’s free throw broke that unanswered run with 25.7 seconds left with Ardmore trailing 67-60. Terrance Nance hit a free throw for Madison County to extend the lead. Al- Saba hit three free throws for Ardmore’s last points with 14.6 seconds remaining. The final five points came from the charity stripe for the winners.
There were four Ardmore technical fouls called, three in the fourth quarter, and two fans ejected in the loss.
Ryan Cross led the winners with 21 points as Nance added 19 and Robert Thomas 10.
Stagner led Ardmore’s Tigers with 18 while Matthew Clem scored 15. Curtis added eight and Al Saba seven for Ardmore.