Career-high 23 points
(photo by Jim Lindquist)
Farmington led by as many as nine points early in the second half but came up empty down the stretch in a 62-55 non-conference loss at Hastings Friday night.
The Raiders held their guests to just two field goals over the final nine minutes, turning a 48-44 deficit into a seven-point victory.
"Too many turnovers, missed shots and loose balls we didn't get after," Tiger coach Shane Wyandt said. "We had control of the game but once they made their run, we just crumbled under the pressure.
"We are a young team and we are making mistakes young teams do, but we aren't going to be using that excuse all season. We have to learn how to play no matter whether we are ahead or behind."
A big first half sparked by the offensive efforts of Nick Varner and Darren Beenken gave the Tigers a 38-33 halftime lead.
Farmington's last lead came at 50-48 on a short jumper by Varner with 8:42 to play but from there it was all Hastings with the winners closing out the contest on a 14-5 run.
The winners helped themselves at the foul line, scoring eight of their final 14 points from the charity stripe.
The Tigers contributed to their own demise, turning the ball over on several key possessions in the closing minutes.
Varner finished with a career-high 23 points, including a dozen in the first half. Darren Beenken checked in with 18 markers for the second straight game but no other Tiger approached double figures.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for Farmington (0-3) with Spring Lake Park coming to town Tuesday, Dec. 13, for another non-conference contest.
