The Rich Hill Tigers entered the Class 2, District 13 tournament as the 2 seed, with a record of 22-5. The Tigers were in a District loaded with talent, such as, Lincoln, Osceola, Weubleau, Appleton City and Lakeland. As the second seed, the Tigers had earned a bye, and would face Osceola in round of the tournament after Osceola defeated Appleton City 62 to 53 in the first round.
This would be the 3rd time that the Tigers and Indians would face off this season. In the first two meetings, the Tigers would emerge victorious with scores of 59-50 and 56-54.
Following the opening tip, it would appear that these two teams would be set for another close one, as the Tigers led 11-7 after the opening 8. The contest would remain tight through the first 2 quarters, as Rich Hill would take a 20-19 lead into the break.
Out of the intermission, the Tigers were able to dominate defensively and hold the Indians to a whopping ZERO points for the entirety of the period. While they ratcheted up the defensive pressure, the Tigers were also able to put up an impressive 17 points, pushing their lead to a comfortable 37-19 heading into the fourth and final. During the 4th period, the Tigers coasted to a 55-30 win.
Zane Becker led the Tigers with 22 points, Dillon Coonce finished the night with 14 points, 19 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 4 assists. Lane Hardin also pitched in 14 points for Rich Hill.
With this win, the Tigers had earned a spot in the district in the Championship game, and now they had a date with Lincoln. The Tigers would end up falling to Lincoln with a final of 56-43, ending Rich Hill’s season.
