Falcons win Gainesville Tourney
The Dora Falcons are riding high after huge wins against two tough teams to claim the championship trophy in the Gainesville Tournament last week.
The Falcons, now 12-3 on the year, were in trouble early on in the fourth quarter of a semifinals game against Gainesville Thursday night, as the Bulldogs outscored Dora, 10-4 in a sloppy first quarter for both teams. A 16-4 run in the fourth quarter helped Dora collect a 40-37 win over Gainesville, who had beaten them earlier in the season in the championship game of the Cabool Holiday Tournament.
The win boosted the morale of the Falcon team and sent them into a championship matchup with Seymour, who came into the tournament seeded second.
"We knew going into the championship game that we would have to win the battle on the boards and handle their pressure if we were going to win the game," said Dora coach Rick Luna.
Jacob Pardo set the tempo for the Falcons, coming out hot in the first quarter. Pardo went 3 for 3 in the first quarter, 7 for 8 FG for the game, on pace for his game-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dora led Seymour 14-8 after one and 28-24 at the half. The third quarter belonged to the Falcons, and with Dora leading 46-34 after three quarters, it looked like the Falcons were going to soar to an easy win.
But Seymour would not go away quietly. The Tigers roared back in the fourth quarter, outscoring Dora 25-14. Their efforts fell a little short, and Dora escaped with a 60-59 victory.
"I felt like we relaxed a little bit and let Seymour back into the game," Luna said. "I am very proud of the way the boys never lost their composure during the fourth quarter."
Besides Pardo, other Falcons who put points on the board include Dylan Fox with 12, Jesse Morgan with 9, Justin VonAllman with 7, Billy Sexton with 6 and Gavin Haney with 2.
The Dora Falcons pose for a photo after winning first place in the Gainesville Tournament last week. Shown are (from left) front row Billy Sexton, Justin Vonallmen, Dillan Collins, Jacob Pardo, Dylan Fox and Coy Collins. Back row Gavin Haney, Jesse Morgan, Dalton Shipley and Dakota Collins.
