Boys basketball: Tigers shoot down Rockets

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Head coach Shane Wyandt wasn’t kidding when he said before the season he planned to play upwards of 12 players in his varsity rotation.

Wyandt cleared his bench in the second half of Friday’s season opener at Tiger Gym and 17 Tigers got in the game. Thirteen scored points in a 74-43 rout of section rival Rochester John Marshall.

“It was interesting. I had no idea what to expect going in,” said Wyandt, who had just four players with significant varsity experience at his disposal going in. “John Marshall is kind of a team in transition too, so I thought they were a good team to start with. We ended up going 17 deep and winning, which was a nice boost for the kids, especially the younger kids.”

The Tigers afforded their head coach the chance to play the bench extensively in the second half by building a commanding 20-3 advantage in the first seven-plus minutes of action. The lead was extended to 39-13 by halftime thanks to a full-court pressure defense that forced the Rockets into 24 turnovers.

“They had a lot of trouble with the different traps we threw at them,” Wyandt said. “I think the big key was how we rebounded on the defensive end. If we can control the boards like that, we’ll be okay.”

Senior Alex Michels led the orange and black with 22 points, doubling his average scoring production from last season. He also grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds as the Tigers posted a decided 45-27 advantage on the glass.

“I think it was all fundamentals. We know going in we’re going to be outsized in a lot of games this year,” Wyandt said. “Every single practice it’s a major point of emphasis and the kids did a good job.”

Sebren Baer joined Michels in double figures with 11 points and Nick Varner and Austin Bassett each tacked on eight points. John Mattison added 12.

The Tigers (1-1) competed again Tuesday night on the road against another section rival, Owatonna. They return home tonight for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off against Hastings.

Tags: boys basketball, sports, farmington, tigers, prep