Tigers’ Historical Season Ends in State Semis

BY NORM BETZ –

The Acorn Tigers had already made school history as the only boys basketball team to win a game at the State Tournament, doing it not once this year, but twice. The ride came to a screeching halt on Monday when the Tigers fell to the Pirates of Emerson, 55-54 in overtime, in the 1A State Semifinal game. It was only fitting that the game would be decided in OT after the lead changed hands 11 different times and was tied 12 times in the game.

“We played hard,” said Tigers head coach Mike Jackson. “I’m so proud that we made it this far for the first time, but I just wish we could have finished it.”

After going down 4-0, the Tigers scored 10 straight points and went on to lead 13-11 at the end of the first quarter. Seniors Sky Jackson and Morgan Hair flexed their shooting muscles in the opening quarter. Jackson led the way hitting a pair of three-pointers and later threw down a dunk, to the excitement of the packed stands. Hair’s first bucket came from just inside the arc, while his second was from downtown Nashville.

The lead changed hands three times in the second quarter with the score finally being locked at 21-all at halftime. Emerson outscored Acorn 10-8 in the quarter. Four different Tigers put points on the board in the second. Hair took a fast-break pass and kissed one in off the glass, while Jackson grabbed Hair’s missed lay-up and put it back through the cylinder via a dunk. Senior Justin Hogan knocked down two-of-two from the line, while junior Ashton Pardun hit two-of-four from the charity stripe.

“It was a very physical game,” explained Jackson. “I expected it to be physical, but they really let it get pretty physical out there.”

The Tigers outscored the Pirates 12-9 in the third quarter to take a 33-30 lead heading into the final quarter. Emerson scored the first five points, then the Tigers unleashed the Jackson – Hair one-two punch. Jackson hit a pair from the line, while Hair tossed in his second trifecta of the game. Acorn outscored Emerson 7-4 in the final 2:30 of the third. Hogan and Pardun threw in lay-ups, while Hair knocked down his third three-pointer of the contest.

Emerson opened the fourth outscoring Acorn 7-2 to grab a 37-35 lead with 6:23 to play in the game. Jackson hit two-of-two from the line for the Tigers only points during that run. The Pirates only mustered four points on four straight turnovers by the Tigers to hold onto a 41-37 lead with 5:13 left. Jackson supplied the only points, with them coming via the charity stripe again. The Tigers grabbed the 43-41 lead with 2:35 to play when Jackson and Hair teamed up, yet again, but this time from beyond the arc, each hitting three-pointers. Each team ended regulation with a steal and score, going coast-to-coast for lay-ups. Jackson supplied the lay-up for the Tigers. Regulation ended with a mysterious jump ball call with :02.7 left in the game.

“We weren’t even supposed to be here,” said Jackson. “Most expected us to lose in the first-round, so I’m really happy we made it this far.”

Emerson grabbed the first lead of overtime with a lay-up, and Pardun matched their lay-up with one of his own. Hair gave the Tigers their first lead of OT when he stole a pass and took it to the hoop to put Acorn up 49-47 with 3:05 to play. The Pirates hit back-to-back lay-ups to retake the lead, but it was short-lived as Pardun received a sweet no-look pass from Jackson and laid it up and in off the backboard to knot the score at 51-all with 1:20 remaining on the clock. Emerson answered again with a pair of buckets and led 55-51 with just :40 to play. Jackson made Scrapper Arena erupt when he drained his fourth three-pointer of the game to cut the lead to one, 55-54 with :25 left. It appeared everything was falling into place for another upset win for the Tigers, but an inbounds pass with :11.8 to go could not be handled and the Pirates grabbed the loose ball. With just :06.5 remaining, the Tigers were forced to foul and did get the final half court shot, but it fell harmlessly to the floor, as the Pirates held on to defeat the Tigers, 55-44.

“Losing by one point is hard to swallow,” said Jackson. “I always preach to the kids, that it’s the little things, that will eventually add up to big things.”

Four Tigers seniors played in their last high school game: Sky Jackson, Morgan Hair, Justin Hogan and Riley Carter.

“I hate that it ended like this, after the effort we put forth,” said Jackson. “This is actually the fourth straight year as a coach, that our season has ended in the State Semifinals. The prior three were with the girls, and then this one with the boys.”

Sky Jackson led the Tigers with 24 points. Morgan Hair finished with 18 points, Ashton Pardun added eight points, and Justin Hogan finished with four points.

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