Elida falls to San Jon

ELIDA - Despite playing a pretty competitive second half, Elida's boys basketball team found themselves in too much of a first-half hole Saturday night and couldn't overcome San Jon, falling 57-40.

The Coyotes (6-5, 2-1) were led by the combo of Daniel Lee and Jacob Thurman, who filled up the stat sheet with 18 and 15 points, respectively. The Tigers (2-14, 0-3) were led by Kaul Burton with 15 points.

"Our game plan was to try to run our pace," Elida coach Logan Turnbow said, "and move the ball side to side to get them to rotate and open up some gaps we could attack."

The size and athleticism of the Coyotes would prove too much though, forcing Elida into 14 turnovers on the night. While the Tigers managed to slow San Jon down offensively, they had no answer for the 6-foot-4 Lee, who dominated on both ends of the court - snagging seemingly every rebound, blocking shots and scoring at will.

The Coyotes' athleticism was on display as well, constantly pushing the ball for fast break opportunities.

"I thought we really moved the ball well and we really saw the floor to get down the court," said Coyotes coach Scotty Gates. "They (Elida) are tough and they will be tough; they have a lot of young talent coming up right now."

The Coyotes will travel to Grady Saturday for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Tigers are slated for nine days off before hosting Melrose Jan. 31.