In a dramatic championship matchup of the Miami County Holiday Tournament, the Peru Tigers fell 83-78 to Maconaquah in double overtime on Saturday night. The defeat marks the Tigers’ second consecutive loss in the tournament final, dropping them to 5-4 on the season.
Maconaquah capitalized on Peru’s struggles early, racing to a 16-point lead in the first quarter. The Tigers trimmed the deficit to 11 by the quarter’s end, and a strong second quarter fueled by Zion See’s seven points helped Peru outscore the Braves 17-10, cutting the lead to four at halftime.
The third quarter saw Maconaquah regain momentum, extending their lead to eight points as Peru battled turnovers and rebounding woes. However, the Tigers stormed back in the fourth quarter behind senior Xavier Turner, juniors Jacob Boswell and Reis Bellar, and the hot hand of See, forcing overtime with a furious rally.
The first overtime was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading blows. Turner, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, came up with a crucial steal on an inbounds pass in the final seconds but missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer.
In the second overtime, Peru’s offense went cold, failing to make a field goal. Maconaquah sealed the game by hitting 5-of-8 free throws down the stretch, claiming the championship in their 11th tournament final meeting with Peru.
See led all scorers with 20 points, while Turner added 19. Bellar chipped in 13, Boswell had nine, and Kingston Eldridge rounded out the scoring with two points. Seniors Gavin Eldridge and Ryne Butt were recognized as Academic All-Tournament Team members for their excellence in the classroom.
The Tigers, now 5-4 overall and 3-0 in the TRC, will look to bounce back on January 7 in a conference showdown at Northwestern.
