The Thrall Tigers boys varsity basketball team lost 65-37 to the Holland Hornets on Tuesday, Dec. 10. This marks the eighth straight loss for the Tigers, who fall to 1-10 on the season.
Thrall was competitive in the first quarter, as both teams traded baskets, with the Tigers holding a 17-15 lead late in the period. The Hornets took the lead after a couple of scores, making it 20-19, but senior guard Peyton Gillmore hit a 3-pointer to give Thrall a 22-20 advantage.
That would be the Tigers’ final lead of the game, as they struggled to keep pace with the Hornets’ offense. Holland outscored Thrall 22-3, taking a commanding 42-25 lead at halftime. Senior guard Ethan Boecker sparked the offense with two straight 3-pointers, cutting the deficit to 46-31, but the Tigers failed to capitalize, being outscored 11-4 in the final quarter.
This performance is consistent with the Tigers’ struggles this season, as their offense has yet to score 50 points, averaging just 33.4 per game. The offense was a concern coming into the season, as Thrall faced the challenge of replacing its top three players — Dawson Mieske, Steven Walker and Ethan Dahl — under first-year head coach Zachary Tatro.
Luckily for the Tigers, they will have plenty of opportunities to improve as they enter the Comfort Tournament from Dec. 12-14, opening against Uvalde.
