GRIFFS SHOOT DOWN TIGERS IN CLASSIC

As good as Cape Central's third quarter was, it wasn't good enough to overcome Vianney's first.

The St. Louis school escaped the Fourth Annual Tiger Shootout with a 60-52 win over Cape Central at the Tiger Field House on Saturday.

After trailing 16-4 just five minutes into the game, Central -- thanks to an incredible run -- eventually tied the game at 40 with 25 seconds left in the third.

Central (6-8) made eight of its nine shots in the third period, including three 3-pointers by Eric Wessel.

The Tigers' third-quarter output was a dramatic change of events, considering it took 27 shots to make eight field goals in all of the first half.

But after Central finally tied it, Vianney's Drew Paradoski hustled down a lose ball, turned, faded, heaved and swished a shot from 16-feet as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter.

The answered prayer, and Paradoski's only basket of the game, put the Golden Griffins up 42-40 and Central never tied or led thereafter.

"In all honesty, that's a loose ball and we should have had it," Central head coach Brett Reutzel said. "In my opinion that's a defensive rebound that we should have had but we didn't get it."

Still, Reutzel was pleased with the way the Tigers played in the second half.

"I think we defended the break much better and played better defense overall," Reutzel said of the second-half performance. "We started getting some loose balls and playing more physical. I thought Rob Winschel did a heck of a job on the boards."

"In the lockerroom at halftime we were down by 11 or so and we knew we could come back," Wessel said. "We just made up our minds to play harder and when I got the ball when I was open, I was fortunate enough to have them go in."

In the first quarter, Vianney (10-3) looked more like the home team and the Tigers looked like the team who traveled more than an hour on a bus.

The Golden Griffins, made seven shots in a row during a stretch which began on their second possession.

Mike Paradoski, a 6-foot-4 center, scored several easy baskets in the first quarter by beating the Tigers down the court.

The Tigers missed six of their first seven shots and all five 3-point attempts they took in the first quarter.

"The first quarter we were focused," Vianney coach Bill Young said. "The last three minutes of the second quarter we lost our focus. I think we thought `well, we've got a 10-12 point-lead and they're going to roll over for us.' The coaches knew that wasn't going to happen."

"You have to give them credit. They're a good basketball team," Reutzel said. "But we weren't getting back and we weren't getting matched up."

Jackson 71, Oakville 53

Doug Cary scored all 19 of his points in the first half as the Indians -- who led 31-21 at halftime -- rolled to an easy win.

Jackson coach Steve Burk said the Indians (9-3) tried some new things, including applying a full-court press for nearly the entire game.

"We're always trying to improve and see if we can't get better," Burk said. Today was a step in the right direction."

Tory Meyr added 11 for Jackson.

Javon Sykes paced Oakville with 13 points.

Portageville 57, Notre Dame 49

After trailing 36-25 at halftime, Notre Dame made a game of it and outscored Portageville 24-21 in the second half.

Notre Dame (4-8) trailed 40-34 entering the fourth quarter.

Jonathon Ressel, a sophomore, led Notre Dame with 10 points.

William Durden scored 14 to lead Portageville.