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Snyder’s Dillon Scott (33) drives against Stamford’s Lonnie Applin and Zai Smith during Tuesday’s game at Tiger Gym. The Tigers defeated the Bulldogs, 49-40.
Defense put the Snyder Tigers in position to win and Abram Smith carried the offensive load during the second half in a non-district basketball game against Stamford Tuesday.
The Tigers held an opponent under 45 points for the sixth time this season and Smith scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half of Snyder’s 49-40 victory.
Snyder picked up its seventh victory, two away from last season’s total. The Tigers have held opponents to an average of 39 points per game.
“Our defense is keeping us in games and helping us to win,” Snyder head coach Lee Scott said. “When we hold a team to under 45 points, we will have a great shot of winning. Defense again made the difference in this game. We find ways to score other than making 3-pointers.”
Dralon Jackson led Snyder with 20 points, including one 3-pointer.
“Stamford denied the ball to Dralon, so Abram and Dillon Scott stepped up their games and scored,” Scott said. “That’s what we need in some games. We need other people other than Dralon to score.”
Scott scored six points and Chris Dickinson had two points in the paint.
“Abram and Dillon took the ball to the basket and helped us out,” Scott said. “When we can score 49 points and make only two 3-pointers that’s a good job on offense. We showed that we can score without making threes.”
Stamford jumped out to a 4-0 first-quarter lead. The Tigers (7-1) tied the game three times — 7-7, 10-10 and 12-12 — before a Jackson basket gave Snyder a 14-12 lead. Snyder eventually took an 18-12 lead after the first quarter.
Snyder led 20-12 early in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs pulled to within three points, 22-19, before Andres Medina increase the lead to 24-19 at halftime.
Ligon West, who led Stamford with 21 points, scored the first points of the second half with 4:58 left on the clock. The Tigers answered with six points — on two Smith baskets and one by Scott — to take a 32-23 lead.
Late in the quarter, Smith converted a three-point play and Jackson made two free throws to increase the lead to 39-25.
The Bulldogs cut the deficit to single digits midway through the fourth quarter. Baskets by Scott and Jackson increased the lead to 47-35 with three minutes left. The Tigers maintained a double-digit lead until West’s 3-pointer pulled Stamford to within nine points.
“Stamford has a good team with good shooters and athletes,” Scott said. “They will likely be a playoff team. They gave us good competition and we will get to play them again at its tournament.”
Snyder will play two pool games at the Stamford Shootout Classic on Thursday — Throckmorton at 10 a.m. and Stamford at 7 p.m. The Tigers will conclude pool play against Lueders-Avoca on Friday.
“Stamford will remember this game when we play on Thursday,” Scott said. “They will play better at home and in front of their fans.”
The Tigers are off to their best start since the 2007-08 season, the last time the program made the playoffs.
“If you would have told me that we would be 7-1, I would had been slow to agree that would happen,” Scott said. “The players had played great defense and executed on offense.”
After the Stamford Shootout, Snyder will play at San Angelo Lake View on Monday and will host Monahans on Dec. 18.
“It gets rough playing so many games and not as many practices this time of the year,” Scott said. “We want to win every game, but what matters is winning district games.”
Stamford 12 7 6 15—40
Snyder 18 6 15 10—49
Stamford scorers — Ligon West 21, John Louis 12, Lonnie Applin 5, Matt Medford 2.
Snyder scorers — Dralon Jackson 20, Abram Smtih 16, Dillon Scott 6, Chris Depaz 3, Chris Dickinson 2, Andres Medina 2.