Overmatched and outmanned against the second-seeded Ridgefield Christian Warriors, Coach Morgan Gilbert’s Tuckerman Bulldogs did what they do best - they battled.
They battled Ridgefield all afternoon in Saturday’s quarter-final clash at the 24th Annual George Kell Classic in Swifton.
After falling behind by double-digits in the first half, Tuckerman’s full-court pressure seemed to bother the Warriors in the second half as the hosts began to cut into to the lead.
Timmy Stevens’ three-pointer in the fourth quarter brought Tuckerman to within three, 49-46. However, they would be outscored 5-3 the rest of the way as missed opportunities and ragged play knocked the Bulldogs out of the tournament 54-49.
“I was real proud of them,” Gilbert said of his squad, “They (Ridgefield Christian) are pretty good and I thought we played one of our best games of the year.”
He added, “We had some opportunities to win the ballgame. If they had panicked we were poised to pick up a win, but they kept their composure and held on.”
The Bulldogs stayed close to the Warriors in the opening eight minutes as three, three-pointers by Justin Watkins sent the game to the second quarter with Ridgefield holding a slim 16-13 margin.
The Warriors extended their lead to 35-26 at halftime.
Stevens led Tuckerman with 13 points and seven rebounds while Watkins scored 11. Chase Gates chipped in with 10 points for the Bulldogs who return to action Friday as they travel to Hoxie. Tip-off is 6 p.m.
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Overmatched and outmanned against the second-seeded Ridgefield Christian Warriors, Coach Morgan Gilbert’s Tuckerman Bulldogs did what they do best - they battled.
They battled Ridgefield all afternoon in Saturday’s quarter-final clash at the 24th Annual George Kell Classic in Swifton.
After falling behind by double-digits in the first half, Tuckerman’s full-court pressure seemed to bother the Warriors in the second half as the hosts began to cut into to the lead.
Timmy Stevens’ three-pointer in the fourth quarter brought Tuckerman to within three, 49-46. However, they would be outscored 5-3 the rest of the way as missed opportunities and ragged play knocked the Bulldogs out of the tournament 54-49.
“I was real proud of them,” Gilbert said of his squad, “They (Ridgefield Christian) are pretty good and I thought we played one of our best games of the year.”
He added, “We had some opportunities to win the ballgame. If they had panicked we were poised to pick up a win, but they kept their composure and held on.”
The Bulldogs stayed close to the Warriors in the opening eight minutes as three, three-pointers by Justin Watkins sent the game to the second quarter with Ridgefield holding a slim 16-13 margin.
The Warriors extended their lead to 35-26 at halftime.
Stevens led Tuckerman with 13 points and seven rebounds while Watkins scored 11. Chase Gates chipped in with 10 points for the Bulldogs who return to action Friday as they travel to Hoxie. Tip-off is 6 p.m.
