Tiger Seniors Parker Abbott (13) Eli Schneider (1) and Tucker Synek (4) get back on defense against Elkhorn.
On Tuesday, the Tigers traveled down Highway 281 to meet up with rival Grand Island Northwest. The game was fueled and juiced up before it started. A Northwest Instagram post fueled the Tigers. Both sides with roaring student sections and the stands filled to the brim.
Before the game, Boys Basketball Head Coach Dylan Flinn had one message, “Block out the noise and outbasketball them.” The Tigers did just that.
They won the tip, and on a backdoor set, the Tigers got up 2-0 early thanks to a layup by senior Parker Ablott. The Tigers didn’t stop there. Senior Chance Vertin, following a 17-point game against Bennington on Saturday, scored the next five for the Tigers, including a physical and-one, which sent the Tiger momentum through the roof.
Ablott, who had 34 points in Saturday’s win over Bennington, kept the ball rolling for the Tigers and made plays left and right. At the end of the first half, the Tigers led 32-22 thanks to an Ablott free throw with five seconds to play in the half.
In the half-time locker room, there were few adjustments other than Flinn preaching to his guys to keep playing hard and not take their foot off the gas.
The Tigers weren’t satisfied only being up ten, and in the second half showed Northwest what the game of basketball is supposed to look like. The Tigers quickly had the lead to 15 at 37-22 thanks to a strong Vertin layup with 4:38 to play in the third, warranting a Northwest timeout. 15 is more than enough to win a basketball game, but it’s not nearly enough to satisfy the Tigers. In the last four minutes of the third quarter, they allowed just five points and took a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Tigers also held a 21-point lead Saturday against Bennington in the fourth quarter, and the Badgers battled all the way back to take the lead. Flinn reminded his boys about that in the huddle and said “[The] job’s not done yet.” The Tigers took that to heart and made sure to knock out the Vikings this time.
With a minute left in the game, Flinn turned and pumped his fist, feeling like the game was in the hands of the Tigers, who led wire to wire and beat the Vikings 64-44 on senior night in GI.
After the game, when Flinn was asked about the outside noise and how his boys handled it, he said “We played basketball and got the last laugh, that’s all that matters to me…”
Hastings Leaders
Ablott – 16
Schneider – 14
Vertin – 13
