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Higbee uses strong finish to snap 10-game streak vs Panthers

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Posted 1/28/20

Higbee saw its nine-point lead cut to one by Prairie Home/Bunceton during the final minute of the third quarter on Tuesday.

But the Tigers weren’t about to let this one get away.

Higbee …

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Higbee uses strong finish to snap 10-game streak vs Panthers

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Higbee saw its nine-point lead cut to one by Prairie Home/Bunceton during the final minute of the third quarter on Tuesday.

But the Tigers weren’t about to let this one get away.

Higbee opened the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run and went on to snap a 10-game losing streak against the Panthers with a 68-58 win. William Gibson scored 10 of his 27 points during the fourth quarter, including a layup that restored a double-digit lead at 53-43.

“We went to the huddle and we just focused on defense,” Gibson said about the Tigers’ run.

“We were shooting too many threes and they weren’t falling obviously, so we settled down, attacked basket and took our time with it.”

Keetun Redifer had a 3-point play to put the Tiger’s ahead 46-41. Gibson had two baskets sandwiched around a Seth Kirby 3-pointer and Luke Ritter’s layup stretched the lead to a dozen.

The Panthers would make five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, but Higbee went 7-10 from the free-throw line down the stretch and Jamie Smith finished at the rim twice to protect the lead.

“It takes a lot of guts to play like that, to bounce back when you’ve had a lead and then it falls and slips away,” Higbee coach Tanner Burton said. “When threes start falling, you don’t know how kids are going to react. A lot of times, they want to let the ball fly themselves, but I thought they did a very good job of listening and executing down the stretch. And I think that shows a lot of maturity from this team.”

Redifer scored at least four points in each quarter and finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and three assists. Redifer attacked the basket and scored most of his points right at the rim.

“He’s always been kind of sitting back and just… if it comes it comes,” Burton said.

“He’s starting to figure out that he can assert himself and be a powerful player, and that’s going to help us excel and win.

“That was my message to all the guys tonight. If they’re going to man us up, that’s awesome, we want that. Now it’s a matter of how do we execute? It’s got to be everybody. When you look at Chad and Luke… they played downhill, they played nitty gritty, they played aggressive, fierce basketball. If I can get these guys to buy into that on a nightly basis, this season’s going to be a hell of a ride for us.”

Luke Ritter had seven points. Chad Crawford had three points and six rebounds. Gibson had nine rebounds.

Prairie Home/Bunceton closed the first quarter on a 12-2 run, but Gibson scored the next eight points for Higbee. He hit a 3-pointer to tie and a 3-pointer to take the lead. The Tigers led the rest of the way.

Higbee’s lead almost slipped away at halftime. The Panthers scored the final four points of the first half and made it 33-32 with the first bucket of the third quarter. Jamie Smith made a free throw and scored on a put back to start a 9-1 run.

“We hadn’t beat them during my whole high school career,” Gibson said. “I wanted it. It was the last time I get to see them, and it was fun.”

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