In front of a packed audience in the Bulldog Gym the Silsbee Tigers who are ranked #3 in the polls of the best 4A basketball teams in the state opened the game with a lead and continued pouring on the points in route to a 101 to 63 win over the Jasper Bulldogs. The Dawgs were once again short handed as they suited up only 8 players and big man Kaitti Armstrong was unable to play due to an injury re received in the Dawgs last game.
Both teams were up and down the floor the entire game as both teams play fast and up tempo on the offense and defensive ends of the floor. Silsbee can out hitting shots while the Dawgs had some trouble in the opening quarter. Silsbee would lead 20 to 12 at the end of the first quarter. The 20 points that Silsbee scored in the first quarter was the lowest number of points the Tigers would score in any quarter. In the second quarter Silsbee would score 25 points while holding Jasper to 13 points so Silsbee led 45 to 25 as the teams left the floor for halftime.
Jasper would go toe to toe with the Tigers in the third quarter as the Dawgs scored 21 points and the Tigers scored 22. Silsbee would lead 67 to 46 heading into the fourth quarter. But the lack of depth for Jasper would be evident in the fourth quarter as Silsbee would pull away doubling Jasper’s scoring 34 to 17. The Tigers were set on scoring 100 points in the game even with reserve players on the floor near the end and a dunk by the Tigers put them over the century mark with only a few seconds left on the clock.
Kam Ferrell led the Dawgs in scoring accounting for 24 of the team’s total. Tylon Garrett contributed 10 points. Elvis Dupree who is back in the line up after missing a couple of games scored 9 and Kam Adams and Zi Simmons both added 8 points.
Jasper still holds its playoff fate in its own hands with three district games remaining. Jasper will travel to Little Cypress-Mauriceville this Tuesday and with the results from Friday night LCM is now in second place in District 19 4A. Next Friday the Dawgs will host Bridge City on Senior Night and at present the Dawgs and the Cards are tied for 3rd place in district. The regular season will conclude in Vidor, February 14th. Needless to say the Dawgs need wins over LCM and Bridge City to ensure a place in the playoffs and then to take care of the Vidor Pirates not allowing them to upset the Dawgs.