CUNNINGHAM, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Waverly Tigers traveled to Montgomery Central High School for a matchup with the Indians on Friday night. The Indians hit a whopping 10 threes in the contest, but the scoring from the perimeter wasn’t enough, as the Tigers won 72-54.
Central hit seven threes in the first half, including their first four made baskets, and four in total from guard Noah Nicholson. However, a 26-point second quarter from the Tigers, fueled by several offensive rebounds and second-chance points, and eight points from guard Ty Brooks in the quarter, had Waverly up 40-29 at the halftime break.
“We couldn’t keep our man in front tonight,” said Indians head coach Sam Young. “They got a lot of inside the paint touches, and second and third chances. When you do get a stop, and they get another chance to score, that’s back-breaking. We ran out of gas because they got a lot of opportunities.”
The Indians continued to fight in the second half, with guard Jonathon Johnson scoring 11 points in the third quarter, and cutting the lead to 10 at the end of the period. However, an 18-2 run to start the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Tigers, including guard Malachi Burns’ 1,000th point. Burns led all scorers with 24, and the Tigers stole a win on the road to ring in the new year.
“We were very lethargic at times,” said Young. “We had spurts where we did decent things, but we didn’t do them consistently, and that won’t cut it against a quality team like Waverly. We have to figure it out quickly, because by the middle of January, you essentially are who you are. Hopefully we can get refocused and get ready for district play.”
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