When asked if the third quarter against Red Bank on Friday was the best period his team had played this season, Howard boys’ basketball coach Walter McGary responded: “Without a doubt.”
When asked if it was the best quarter in his five years on the Hustlin’ Tigers bench, his answer was the same.
The Tigers lived up to the adjective in front of their name for an entire eight-minute stretch and won 74-47 over the team they were battling for second place in the District 6-AA standings. Howard outscored the Lions 29-3 in the third period with 12 field goals, including two 3s, to Red Bank’s none.
McGary suggested the Lions’ shots that had been falling didn’t because they may have gotten tired from the full-court pace the Tigers (16-2, 8-2) tried to enforce. There were plenty of other times they couldn’t even get the ball up the floor. Red Bank (14-6, 5-3) had gone to halftime leading 31-25.
“I told them at halftime that it was not a shame to lose to Red Bank. Red Bank has a good basketball team,” McGary said. “I told them it would be a shame for the people from Red Bank not to see we have a good team and we can play good ball also.