CASEY GEORG Special to the Press
MILANO — The Thrall Tigers (21-2 overall, 4-1 District 27-2A) outscored the Milano Eagles (1-17, 0-4) 22-2 in the opening period, and cruised to a 60-27 win Friday night.
Steven Walker had the hot hand early, scoring a dozen points in the opening period. Breken Proctor, who had been struggling from the field over the past few games, regained his shooting rhythm, and dropped seven of his 18 points in the first quarter, as well.
Proctor added a pair of three-point jumpers in the second quarter, while Walker added four points, and the Tigers expanded their lead to 36-13 by halftime. The Tigers also hit eight of nine shots from the free-throw line in the first half to add to the lead.
Milano struggled throughout the second half, as the Tigers’ defense forced multiple turnovers. Thrall outscored the Eagles 19-0 off turnovers, and out-rebounded Milano 44-30, even playing without Dawson Meiske, who leads the team with 14 rebounds per game.
While the Tigers’ defense was shutting down the Eagles’ offense, Thrall’s offense simply switched gears. Carson Ball hit a trio of threepointers in the third quarter, finishing the night with 10 points, and adding 11 rebounds. Thrall went on to outscore the Eagles 14-6 in the third and held a commanding 50-19 lead entering the final period.
In the fourth, Jesus Garcia and Walker each scored four points and led the Tigers to a 10-8 scoring edge.
Walker’s 22 points led all scorers, and he also led the Tigers in rebounding with 15. Proctor finished the night with 18 points, while Ball had 10 points and 11 boards. The Tigers were off Tuesday night but will travel to Thorndale on Friday in a critical 27-2A match-up.
The Bulldogs are currently 21-3, and 4-0 in district play. A win would give the Dogs a two-game lead in the district race, while a Tiger win would put Thrall and Thorndale in a first-place tie at the midway point of the district race.
