The sixth- and seventh-grade Tigers pulled off a second-half comeback to beat the Razorbacks, 31-27, Dec. 5 at the East Lawrence Center.

The Razorbacks started the game strong with nine first-quarter points to jump out to a two-point lead.

Guard Dylan Perry played tricky defense to steal the ball from the Tigers. Perry would help out on the double team and sneak around his teammate to slap the ball away from the offensive players.

Perry’s defense and the defense of both teams picked up during the second quarter. Each team could only manage four points apiece, which left the Razorbacks in control at halftime with a two-point advantage.

The tide turned during the second half with the Tigers playing tight defense inside the paint. The Razorbacks tried to drive to the basket, but the Tigers shut down all the lanes to the hoop. The Razorbacks couldn’t penetrate the defense and were forced to take tough outside jump shots. The outside shooting resulted in fewer points for the Razorbacks and more fast-break opportunities for the Tigers.

Tigers guard Johnny McDermott used slick one-touch passing on the fast break to set up his teammates. McDermott was able to finish his own scoring chances on the break, and he also scored on the baseline with a crossover dribble to drive to the rim.

The Tigers used two ways to cut into the lead during the second half. The Tigers used a full-court press to pick off telegraphed passes by the Razorbacks, and they knocked down free throws, which allowed them to score with the clock stopped.

Razorback forward Christopher Langwell looks for an open teammate Dec. 5 in his game against the Tigers at the East Lawrence Center.

Razorbacks guard Mike Lembeck finally penetrated the Tigers’ defense in the fourth quarter, which opened up other scoring options.

One of those options was guard Sha Detwiller, who knocked down a jump shot late in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 27. On the next Razorback possession Detwiller broke the full-court press on the Tigers, but the team couldn’t finish under the basket.

The Razorbacks’ late fourth-quarter rally fell short with the Tigers squeaking out a 31-27 victory.