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The Columbus Cardinals traveled to Lexingotn to compete in the tournament there where they walked away with 3rd place.
The Cardinals played Giddings, Schulenburg, Sealy and Lexington, losing only one of those four games.
@ Giddings, W, 57-53
The Cardinals got things started on the right foot by securing a win in their first game at the tournament.
The Cardinals were able to find some late momentum in the close game after a heated back and forth between the two teams. The Cardinals’ late push gave them the lead late and it was up to their defense at that point.
The defense came through securing the last rebound before dribbling out the clock to end the game. This was only game one of their double header though and quickly set their sights on Schulenberg.
@ Schulenburg, W, 34-31
The second game was much of the same for the Cardinals as it was another tight game in game number two.
Schulenburg was in search of their first win and a team with nothing to lose is dangerous and the Cardinals learned that early in the game. Schulenburg was feisty and competitive in game number two taking the game right to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals stayed calm however and strung together some points that gave them just enough of an edge over Schulenburg.
@ Sealy, L, 47-36
The Cardinals suffered their first loss of the tournament because of Sealy having a strong start to the game.
Sealy knows how good the Cardinals are on the court and wanted to have a strong start against them to give themselves a chance to play while ahead. It paid off in a big way, winning the game by nine points.
Sealy kept the Cardinals high flying offense at bay for more of the game while executing well on the offensive end of the floor. The loss put the Cardinals in the third-place game against Lexington and coming off a loss the Cardinals were ready to secure a statement win over the host.
@ Lexington, W, 49-40
The Cardinals came into the third-place game looking to get back in the win column but knew it was going to be tough against Lexington.
Lexington had the advantage of having home court throughout the tournament, but the Cardinals were not going to let that be a factor. From the opening tip-off, they were all over Lexington and in their face.
Lexington matched the competitiveness, and it became a game of who wants it more. The Cardinals were able to execute a little bit better on offense compared to Lexington and when the fourth quarter rolled around the Cardinals continued to execute and widen the gap on the scoreboard. When the final buzzer sounded the Cardinals were crowded the thirdplace winners for the Tournament and celebrated their victory.
The Cardinals now look ahead to having their own home-court advantage when they take on La Grange on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at Columbus High School.
