The Tigers entered another big week of ECC play where they visited the Turpin Spartans and the Lebanon Warriors. The Tigers then returned home on Saturday, January 27th to honor their five seniors; Nick Goldie (12), Carson Brown (12), Ben Hicks (12), Andrew Breese (12), and Jack Sauer (12). In a monumental and memorable week for the Tigers, let's recap this week of Loveland Tigers Boys Basketball.
The first game of the week took place down south in Forest Hills, where the Tigers visited the Turpin Spartans. The Tigers came into this one looking for revenge as the Spartans beat them 62-52 in Schmidt Gymnasium early in the year. This one started back-and-forth, as Sauer scored in bunches early. A late three by Breese put the Tigers up 13-10 after one. In the second, the Tigers started to create separation, led by Will Bertoli (11) and Chase Martin (10), who combined to score eleven of the Tigers’ nineteen in the second, as the Tigers waltzed into the half with an 11-point lead. However, the Spartans weren’t out of this one yet. After a third-quarter where both teams traded buckets, the Spartans outscored the Tigers sixteen to six in the fourth, and after a clutch bucket from Isaac Hooper to tie the game, this one headed to overtime. As the first overtime neared its end, it seemed the Tiger’s luck had run out, but Breese hit an incredibly clutch three to tie the game at 59 with under a minute to play, and the Tigers dropped fourteen points in double overtime to win this one 73-67.
The Tigers went up north for their second game of the week where they faced the Lebanon Warriors. The Tigers were looking to sweep Lebanon for the first time since they entered the conference in 2020. Sauer scored the first eight for the Tigers to kick this one off, but buckets from Anthony Thompson and Trey Hicks kept this one close and it was 14-12 after one. The first six minutes of the second continued similarly, but the Warriors went on a 14-5 run to close the half and they took a 30-24 lead at the intermission. Throughout the third, both teams traded buckets; Lebanon was led by Thompson, Hicks, and Will Spitler, while the Tigers were led by Sauer and Martin, and the Warriors still led by six after three-quarters of play. Entering the fourth, the Warriors pulled away and dropped twenty in the quarter to win this one 65-52.
The Tigers returned home on Saturday to host the Harrison Wildcats for Senior Night. This game was tight the whole way and Luke Rogers was dominant for Harrison, tallying twelve points in the first quarter. Despite eight turnovers in the first half for Harrison, their four made threes kept them in the contest and the Tigers led by just two at the intermission. Entering the second half, Martin led the Tigers, scoring fifteen points and snatching five steals to help the Tigers gain some separation entering the fourth. After some buckets from Sauer and clutch free throws by Breese, the Tigers survived a scare on Senior Night, winning 62-57.
The Tigers visit Anderson on Tuesday and Kings on Friday of next week in some huge games. Be there to support the Tigers!