Looking to build momentum early in the season, the fourth- and fifth-grade Tigers of the Hoopster league used an uptempo style of play and tenacious defense to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 31-18, Dec. 6 at the East Lawrence Center.

After a week of practice, the Tigers displayed an efficient offense and team defense that secured the win over the Yellow Jackets.

“We worked on our rebounding and finding the open person on the pass at practice this week,” said Tiger head coach Kim Henrichs. “We also spent a little time working on our helping out on defense. They did a nice job in each of these tonight.”

The Tigers were led early by the guard combination of Connor Henrichs and Alex Trent. The two combined for a majority of the team’s first-half scoring. Henrichs opened the scoring for the Tigers, flashing an outside shot after pulling up with a mid-range jumper.

Meanwhile, Trent was able to confuse the Yellow Jacket defense with his constant movement around the hoop. Trent’s ability to hit the outside shot and attack the hoop ended up being too much for the Yellow Jackets to handle as Trent went on to have a game-high 12 points.

Trailing 18-4 at the half, the Yellow Jackets clamped down on defense and relied on the play of their guards. Re’Shawn Johnson led the charge with sure-handed dribbling and quick bursts of energy to cut through the Tiger defense.

Defensively, hard-nosed defender Reese Randall led the Yellow Jackets. Randall was able to force the Tigers into several dangerous passing situations with a tenacious approach. Randall’s ability to slow the Tiger guards enabled the Yellow Jackets to close the gap.

However, the Tiger’s first half performance proved to be too much for the Yellow Jackets to overcome. Forward Courtney Hoag secured the win for the Tigers with exceptional play around the hoop. Hoag positioned herself down low to pick up the rebounds and was a defensive force on the other end. Hoag blocked three different Yellow Jacket shots, setting up the Tiger attack.

Team speedster Narito Mendez offensively led the Tigers in the fourth quarter. With the Yellow Jackets making a late charge, Mendez connected on a deep shot to sink the Yellow Jackets’ hopes of any comeback.