Tigers maul Lincoln Lynx in Friday night hoops action

The taller and stronger Tigers from Darby outplayed Lincoln on the basketball court Friday night, Dec. 20, ending the contest in a lopsided 38 - 69 loss for the Lynx.

Shooting only 45 percent from the floor, the hometown squad couldn't seem to buy a basket as most of the shots went up, rolled around the rim and careened out again.

The Darby Tigers ran sophisticated offensive plays that combined lightning fast passes and deep penetration for the shooters. The Lynx tried to match the opponents with energy and aggressive play, but they only succeeded in fouling out three players and relying on the young Dempster brothers, Hayden and Wesson, to carry on the Lynx campaign.

High scoring Lynx senior Ryan Greenwood totaled up 15 points and five rebounds. Brodi Henderson had nine points, three rebounds, and the award for "most shots that didn't fall through the net."

Darby's #4 Nelson Smith, a dominating 6-foot-2 senior, scored 21 points and seems destined for a future spot on the all-conference team.

Even though this was an off night for the Lynx men, the crowd was entertained in the last minutes of the game by two 3-point bombs from freshman Hayden Dempster and the first varsity appearance of his brother, eighth grader Wesson Dempster. Lincoln's 6-foot-3 junior Trenton Grantier helped the Lynx effort with three points and four rebounds.

Defeat can be discouraging, but a new year and a new game are only seven days away. Next up: Victor Pirates on Jan. 3 at 5:30 p.m.