After starting the season 2-3 the boys basketball team looked like they had a shaky season ahead. Eight games later, problems are fixed, questions are answered and the team is 10-3.

After a tough loss to Belleville East in the second round of the Collinsville Tournament the Tigers’ season could have spiraled out of control, instead they picked each other up and started doing the only things you can when you are down: win. Defeating McCluer North and Chicago Marshall the Tigers took fifth place in the tournament.

During the seven game stretch the Tigers had some blowouts winning games by 17, 31, 22, and 20 points. Only one game was a single digit victory for the Tigers, and it could end up being a season defining win. After blowing a fourth quarter lead on the road at Parkway South, the Tigers were able to force overtime and won on a buzzer beater by Austin Gillmann (12) in overtime. It was a total team effort and the Tigers fought for everything they earned that game. Many players said after the game that it was a type of game that good teams are able to pull out.

The team has been dominated by its two stars, seniors Austin Gillmann and Ervin Sarajlic. Both are in the top 20 in the area for points per game, averaging over 20 points per game. Gillmann is also one of the top five rebounders in the area averaging close to 13 per game and is tied for first in blocked shots in the area, averaging close to five per game.

To say that Gillmann and Sarajlic are the only contributors to the team would be selling the rest of the team short. Kolade Osikoya (11) has shaped into one of the best defenders in the area, shutting down the opposing teams’ top scorers. Jake Meier (11) and Marquis Pepper (11) have become key role players in the starting lineup, and Carvon Robinson (11), after missing the first three games, has came off the bench and is turning into a stellar sixth man for the Tigers.

The Tigers’ next two games will be in Triad, Illinois as they participate in an invitational. The Tigers will play Friday and Saturday night.