The Nocona Indians was able to shake off the rust after the holiday break and win the consolation silver bracket at the North Central Texas College Holiday Tournament.
The Indians went 3-1 overall and took some hardware home with a win against Boyd to end the tournament on a high note.
The start of the tournament saw Nocona play site host Gainesville. It was tough and slow going in the first half as both teams struggled to make shots and execute offense while playing with full effort. The game was tied 18-18 at halftime.
The Leopards were able to get some things going in the third quarter and held a 34-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Indians were able to cut the lead to one point sometime in the fourth, but could not get over the hump as Gainesville closed the game out strong, winning 53-45. Jason Sparkman led the team with 10 points while Alex Diaz was second with nine points.
Nocona next played Era. After a 10-10 draw in the first quarter, the Indians were able to score big in the second quarter and led 29-19 at halftime. The Hornets could not dig much into the lead in a low scoring third quarter as Nocona led 35-26 heading into the fourth.
Era made a valiant comeback, but the Indians were able to just hold on to win 42-40. Diaz led the team with 15 points while Sparkman was second with six points.
Nocona played Valley View for a right to play in the consolation championship game. The Indians came out on fire, knocking down shots on offense and locking down the Eagles on defense. Nocona led 34-16 at halftime.
Valley View found its shot in the second half, but Nocona’s offense only slowed down in the fourth quarter to run some clock. The Eagles cut into the lead and got it to single digits, but the hole was just too big as the Indians won 56-47.
Carter Horn led the team with 14 points while Sparkman was second with eight points.
Nocona played Boyd in the consolation championship game. The first quarter was competitive, but in the second the Indians did not score any points. Thankfully, Nocona’s defense kept the game within range as they trailed 20-11 at halftime.
The Indian’s offense found it their groove in the second half while the Yellowjackets never did find their rhythm on offense. Nocona won 42-31.
Sparkman led the team with 16 points while Adan Delao, Rowdy Waters and Horn each chipped in six points.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.