With an effective press defense and good shooting, Tyrone boys basketball team won the annual Kiwanis Tournament on their home gym floor on Saturday, December 29. The boys opened the tournament with an easy 75-36 win over Tussey Mountain and then had an even more lopsided win over rival Bellwood to claim the tournament trophy.

Tyrone first scaled Tussey Mountain with many key plays by sophomore Damon Gripp and senior Corbin Moon. Gripp led the team in points with 15 and Moon added 12. Four of Tyrone’s players scored 10 or more points.

With the Titans defeated, Tyrone set their scopes on Bellwood, who they had previously defeated in the season opener.

Tyrone started the game hot scoring 21 points in the first quarter keeping Bellwood at only 9. Sophomore Jake Taylor lead the Golden Eagles in the first quarter with 9 points and had 16 by the end of the game including 3 three-pointers.  Fellow sophomore Damon Gripp led all scorers with 20.

“[We wanted to] try and slow the game down. We needed to set the tone and come out fast,” said Taylor.

Taylor and Gripp were  not the only Eagles putting big points on the board. Sophomore Blaine Hoover also added 11 points.

“We knew [Bellwood] would come out with much more intensity than the first game and we were going to have to match that if we wanted to win,” said senior Corbin Moon.

Tyrone’s defense proved strong throughout the entire game. With multiple rebounds and steals made by sophomore Brandon Lucas and Blaine Hoover.

“Our press [defense] helped a lot because both teams didn’t have good ball handlers,” said Gripp.

The first three quarters ended in Tyrone putting up 20 or more points in each quarter while holding Bellwood at 27 points at the end of the third quarter.

Tyrone took the game 77-26 and came home with the trophy.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BOX SCORE

BELLWOOD-ANTIS (27): Yingling 1 1-2 3, Z. Mallon 0 0-0 0, Wyland 1 0-0 3, Walker 3 1-2 7, Wolfe 5 0-0 10, Frederick 1 0-0 2, Luensmann 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0, Pellegrino 1 0-0 2, Gibbons 0 0-0 0, S. Mallon 0 0-0 0, Pellegrine 0 0-0 0. Totals — 12 2-4 27.

TYRONE (77): Gripp 9 1-1 20, Lucas 2 2-3 6, Ferguson 1 1-2 3, Hoover 5 0-0 11, Taylor 5 3-5 16, Moon 3 1-1 7, Locke 1 0-2 2, Wagner 0 1-2 1, DeHaas 2 2-3 6, Rhoades 2 0-0 5, Lang 0 0-0 0, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Gwinn 0 0-0 0, Coleman 0 0-0 0. Totals — 30 11-19 77.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Bellwood-Antis 9 7 8 6 — 27

Tyrone 21 20 21 15 — 77

3-point goals: Bellwood-Antis 1 (Wyland); Tyrone 6 (Taylor 3, Gripp, Hoover, Rhoades).

Records: Bellwood-Antis (3-3); Tyrone (5-2).