Thorsby boys finish undefeated, to host area tournament

Published 4:28 pm Friday, January 26, 2018

The Thorsby boys basketball team finished undefeated in area play for the first time in 25 years, following a convincing 77-34 victory on the road against Fayetteville on Jan. 24.

The undefeated area record was much deserved, as the Rebels won all six of its area games by an average margin of 32.5 points.

There was no doubt that Thorsby was the class of Area 9-2A throughout the regular season, and will look to continue that role as host of the area tournament on Feb. 6 and 9.

Christian Fortner and Cain Niece exploded for 22 points apiece to lead the Rebels in scoring.

Fortner came out firing to start the game and scored 16 of his 22 points in the first quarter, while Niece took over in the second half with 14 points in the third quarter.

Point production was not the only way that Fortner contributed to the game, as he also grabbed 14 rebounds and finished with a double-double as a result.

Tyler Jackson also had a productive night with 10 points. It was the second straight game that Jackson finished in double-figures scoring, as he continues to find his rhythm since returning to the lineup from an injury.

The Rebels led 48-19 at halftime and never looked back.

Several reserves played major minutes, due to the lopsided score so early in the contest.

Sawyer Sellers had a pair of blocks to go with eight points, while Tucker Patterson and Cole Farris combined for 13 rebounds.