Tigers improve to 7-0 with thrashing of Hanford West in WYL action; Ladies win 70-28
The Lemoore ladies improved to 5-2 in the WYL.
The Tigers got 19 points from Jaylunn English and 13 from Allen Perryman. The Lemoore boys will play Redwood High School Feb. 4 in Visalia while the girls tackle the Rangers in the Event Center.
Hanford
A Lemoore and Hanford boys’ basketball game is generally an exciting affair, and Friday night’s matchup to determine the halfway leader in the West Yosemite League was no exception. As it is, Lemoore got the better of Hanford and improved to 6-0 in WYL play, beating the Bullpups 57-52 in a contest that could very well have gone either way.
But the Tigers hit the key shots when they needed them during a torrid fourth quarter that had Lemoore taking a 39-38 lead with 5:37 left in the game. Lemoore relinquished the lead just once, and needed some hot shooting to keep it, including Jerald Campbell’s 3-pointer that gave them that lead.
After Kameron Fleming scored on a twisting layup for a 44-42 Tiger advantage, the two teams traded buckets. Roger Wilson connected on a long 3-pointer to put Lemoore up by one at 49-48 and Allen Perryman tossed in another 3-point shot for a 52-48 lead.
Lemoore held on as the two teams traded baskets in the final minute and the Tigers preserved their perfect WYL record as they move on to a second-round matchup with Hanford West in the Event Center Tuesday night (Jan. 27).
“They played really well, especially in the last quarter,” said Tiger Coach Joel Sligh. “They came into that fourth quarter with a lot of confidence and were assure of themselves, and I think they knew what they needed to do and then they made sure they executed it, and they were able to walk away with a good win.”
The Tigers were led by guard Roger Wilson who poured in 15 first-half points, including three 3-point baskets. He had a key 3-pointer in the fourth to add to the Tigers’ momentum. Campbell finished with 14 points, nine of them in the fourth period. Perryman finished with 10 points, seven in the final period as Lemoore outscored Hanford 25-17.
