Crothersville’s Preston West takes a shot from the middle of the key during the home game against Austin Feb. 25, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Crothersville’s Damian Bowman gets a shot off near the basket during the home game against Austin Feb. 25, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Crothersville’s Zachary Helt reaches for the rebound during the home game against Austin Feb. 25, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
The Austin Eagles scored the first eight points of the game to lead from start to finish to defeat Crothersville 91-55 in the Tigers’ Den Friday night.
Brayden Furnish had the hot hand early for the Eagles by scoring their first eight points to an 8-0 lead with the game three minutes old.
Tigers’ coach Bryant Layman said his team couldn’t afford to let Austin get out to an early lead or he would have to call a quick time out.
After Furnish hit a 3-pointer at 6:40, Layman called his first timeout.
Brysen Montgomery also had a hot hand in the first period with 8 points as the Eagles held a 20-8 lead after the opening period.
Austin extended its lead to 27-9 at the 5:32 mark of the second period, and was leading 31-15 when the Tigers went on a 10-0 run.
Preston West started the rally with a layup, and he ended the run with another layup to make it a 31-25 game but that was as close as the Tigers could get as Austin pulled into a 40-27 lead at the half.
Crothersville’s Zachary Helt reaches for the rebound during the home game against Austin Feb. 25, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Crothersville’s Damian Bowman gets a shot off near the basket during the home game against Austin Feb. 25, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Crothersville’s Preston West takes a shot from the middle of the key during the home game against Austin Feb. 25, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Austin stayed hot in the third period by outscoring the Tigers 26-13 to lead 66-40 going into the fourth.
Layman said, “I think we have to crash the boards hard. We’ve struggled on that all season, but we’ve made an emphasis the last third of the season to really crash the boards, trying to get our second-chance points.”
Friday night was not a good night on the board for the home team as Austin outrebounded the home team 17-4 in the first period, and 46-21 for the game.
Layman said he felt it would be an emotional game because of the rivalry, and since West played for Austin prior to this season.
West topped all players with 32 points, his highest game of the season.
Beau Napier added nine, Davin Morgan five, Zach Helt four, Damian Bowman three and Adam Turner two.
Montgomery ended up with 27 and Furnish 22 for the (6-14) Eagles.
The Eagles made 30 of 74 shots from the floor to 20 of 58 for the Tiers
The Tigers (3-19) next game will be in the Edinburgh Sectional where they will face the winner of Tuesday’s Trinity Lutheran-Edinburgh game at 7:30 p.m.