The Granger Lions boys basketball team saw its season come to an end with a 53-34 loss to the Big Sandy Wildcats boys basketball team on Friday, Feb. 27.
The Lions struggled offensively throughout the night, shooting 31% from the field and going 0-for at the free-throw line. Missed opportunities and a pair of scoring runs by Big Sandy proved to be the difference.
Seniors Kye Welles and Seth Good opened the scoring for Granger as the Lions grabbed an early 4-3 lead in the first quarter. Senior guard Caleb Tucker followed with a 3-pointer to keep Granger within striking distance at 10-9.
Big Sandy responded with a strong run late in the first quarter and into the second, building a 22-11 lead with 3:40 remaining before halftime. Tucker knocked down another shot from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to 22-14, but the Wildcats maintained control and carried a 27-14 advantage into the break.
Granger showed signs of life to open the third quarter. Tucker hit a jumper and Welles connected on a 3-pointer as part of a five-point stretch that trimmed the lead to 27-19. After Big Sandy answered with a 3-pointer to push the margin to 30-19, Good scored on a layup to make it 30-21.
That would be as close as the Lions would get. The Wildcats used an 11-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull away and put the game out of reach.
Tucker paced Granger’s offense in the fourth quarter and led the team in scoring.
Despite the loss, the Lions capped off a strong season with a 22-11 overall record and a 10-3 mark in district play. Granger claimed the program’s first bi-district championship since 1997 and advanced to the area round.
The Lions will enter the offseason facing significant roster turnover, as six seniors graduate from this year’s squad.
Photo by Larry Pelchat
