Friggle shines as Aurora boys claim consolation championship over Stockton

It had been a long time since Aurora played four games at the Blue and Gold tournament and after drawing top-seed Bolivar in the Gold Division opening round, that seemed to be another uphill battle. However, against the odds, Aurora didn’t just manage to play four games, they also took the consolation championship.
The Houn’ Dawgs opened the tournament against Bolivar in a matchup that was difficult for Aurora to get anything going. The size of Bolivar proved to be an issue for Aurora as the Liberators won 70-40, despite 17 points from senior guard Jaesik Friggle.
Friggle would go on a rampage the next day against eighth seeded Willow Springs after they got upset by Central in the opening round. Jaesik put up 34 points in the Dawgs’ 75-61 win over the Bears.
That set up a consolation semifinal game against Spokane. This time it was senior forward Sage Welch who dominated for Aurora with 19 points in the Dawgs’ win over the Owls.
This lined up their toughest matchup of the tournament—aside from Bolivar—in a really good Stockton squad that featured one of the best duos in the area. Friggle dominated once again as 33 points was enough to down the Tigers, 65-52, for the consolation championship trophy.
The Houn’ Dawgs move to 7-3 on the year with a pair of interesting matchups this week. They hosted Monett, Monday. in an intriguing head-to-head, before taking on Purdy on the road, Friday night.
Lady Houn’s
The Lady Houn’s experienced some success in the Pink Division over at Drury, in the Pink & White Tournament. Things didn’t start well for them, however, as a 61-41 loss to Branson opener moved them the wrong direction in the bracket. Ellie Creasey rebounded well with 26 points in the second round game against Thayer, and the Lady Houn’s needed every bit of it as they defeated the Lady Bobcats 57-53. This set up a rivalry game against Mt. Vernon with a trip to the consolation championship on the line. Mt. Vernon jumped out early, but Makenna Hall and Marionville transfer Payden Blevins mounted a comeback. It was too little too late, though, as the Lady Houn’s fell to Mt. Vernon 45-38 in a tightly contested battle.
The Lady Houn’s move to 2-7 on the year with a busy week ahead. They traveled to Hillcrest, Monday, and hosted Southwest, Tuesday. They will travel to Hollister, Thursday to take on a very good Lady Tiger team at 7 p.m.