Tonight (1.30) the Rich Hill Tigers were matched up against the Adrian Blackhawks at the Archie Tournament. This in-county matchup had all the makings of a quality game, as this was the 2-3 contest according to the seeding. The 13-3 Tigers defeated Midway in round 1, while the 6-5 Blackhawks grabbed a victory over Lone Jack to make their way into the winner’s bracket. 

The first quarter was a fairly quit one, as Rich Hill found themselves narrowly atop the Blackhawks with a score of 9-7 at the end of the opening 8 minutes. 

The second period saw a little more action on both ends. The quarter also saw Adrain claim a 2 point lead halfway through the game. Going into the locker room, the Tigers were trailing the Blackhawks 20-18.

Out of the intermission, both teams would continue to trade blows and after 3 periods of basketball, Adrain was clinging to a 1 point lead, taking a 36-35 advantage into the final 8. 

In the final quarter, the Rich Hill Tigers really ratcheted up the pressure. Cooper Gillis, of the Tigers, opened the quarter with a deep ball. The Blackhawks immediately answered back, with a triple of their own off the fingertips of Crosby Kimminall. Senior Zane Becker would get to the free throw line for the Rich Hill where he went 2 of 2 and sparked a 9-0 run in favor of the Tigers. The Tigers were able to rattle off 21 points in the 4th, while holding Adrain to just 11. The 4th quarter heroics by the Tigers propelled them to a 56-47 win over the Adrian Blackhawks. 

Dillon Coonce of Rich Hill led the game with 22 points, going to the FT line an impressive 16 times. Zane Becker added in 16 points for the Tigers. 

For Adrian, Mason Rusow collected 15 points, while Cole Hamilton pitched in 10. 

The Tigers will now move on to face the Harrisonville Wildcats in the Championship on Saturday. The Blackhawks will play Archie for 3rd place. 

photo by Jamie Becker