MARION — The Galion Tigers boys basketball team’s losing streak continued Thursday night, with a 70-33 loss to the Marion Harding Presidents in a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Red Division contest.
Galion falls to 2-11 and 1-5 in MOAC Red play. The Presidents are 7-6 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
Harding started the game with a big first quarter to take a 22-12 lead. The Tigers scored just four more points before the half and found themselves headed to the locker room down big, 40-16. Unfortunately, the story stayed the same throughout the second half as the Presidents outscored Galion 30-17 to take the lopsided 37-point victory.
“We have got to get back to the basics. We continue to turn the ball over on decisions that go against what we work on everyday in practice,” says Galion head coach Matt Valentine. “Harding flat out wanted the ball more then we did. We are young, we have to find a way to play as a team and we must bring more effort to practice. I’m a firm believer that you play like you practice and we need more energy at practice.”
Galion turned the ball over 22 times against the Presidents’ defense.
As a team, the Tigers shot just 11/27 from the field and just 3/11 from the perimeter. From the free-throw line, Galion shot 2/7. Rounding out the stat line for Galion was 16 rebounds, six assists, seven steals and three blocks.
Jack McElligott was the leading scorer for the Tigers with seven points. Rounding out the Galion scoring was: Tristan Baldy and Isaiah Alsip with six points, Colten Skaggs with five, Chase Cooke with four, Tristan Williams and Gage Lackey with two points apiece and Colton Powell with one point.
Jason Ellis was the top scorer for Harding with 21 points on the night. TJ Jefferson tallied 15 points and Nate Riddle contributed 11 points in the Presidents’ victory.
Galion will be in their home gym on Saturday Jan. 21 to meet up with league foe, the North Union Wildcats. North Union is currently 11-2 on the season and 4-2 in MOAC Red play.
