Tigers fall short in bid for 3rd place

Troup varsity boys took part in the Frankston Tournament Dec. 6-8, finishing in fourth place.

The Tigers started off with a 45-38 win over Cushing, led by Reginald Wade's 26 points.

After a low-scoring first quarter, Troup came alive in the second to take a 25-11 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers were consistent in both the third and fourth quarters, scoring 10 in each, to hold off a late Cushing surge.

Other scorers for Troup were Der'Rick Thompson with 8, Cody Lepelley 5, Zach Childress 2, Jake Johnson 2 and Charlie Ralph 2.

Wade and Lepelley each had a three-pointer.

Moving on to the second round, the Tigers faced stiff competition from host Frankston, losing 68-34.

Trailing 18-9 after the first quarter, Troup saw its best effort in the second, cutting the Frankston lead to five points (29-24) at halftime.

Frankston came out strong after the break, outscoring Troup 21-4 and 18-6 in the final two quarters for the win.

Wade hit two three-pointers to lead the Tigers with 14 points. Other Tiger scorers were Thompson with 7, Jeremy Richardson 4, Ralph 4, Lepelley 3 and Childress 2.

Playing for third place, the Tigers next faced district rival West Rusk. Trailing 29-13 at halftime, Troup was never able to cut the margin despite an even third quarter and their best production in the fourth.

Wade had 15 on the night, followed by Lepelley with 5, Johnson 5, Thompson 4 and Tee Franklin 1.