The DCHS basketball Tigers took the Cannon County Lions down in a 54-50 nailbiter Friday night in Smithville.

Cannon County edged the Tigers out 14-13 in the first period, but DeKalb began to pull ahead by the end of the first half, taking a 33-24 lead into halftime.

The Tiger advantage was extended to 41-35 in the third. While a fourth period rally by the Lions made things interesting, DeKalb held on for a 54-50 win.

Marshal Evins topped the tiger offense with 15 points, while Trey Jones followed closely with 13, and Tanner Poss had 11. Gentry Harpole scored 10 points in the contest, and Bradley Miller added three.

The win came with Assistant Coach Seth Willoughby at the helm in the absence of Tiger Head Coach Lynus Martin, who was suspended for the game by administration. Officials declined to reveal the reason for Martin’s suspension, saying that the matter was being handled internally.

Meanwhile, The Tiger basketball squad lost 65-49 to York Institute in Jamestown Tuesday night.

The Tigers scored 11 points in the first, while the Dragons put 13 in. York increased their lead to 28 to 18 by halftime, to 44-32 by the end of the third period, and to 65-49 by the end of the game.

Tanner Poss scored 19 points for the Tigers, while Marshal Evins recorded 14. Gentry Harpole and Trey Jones put up six points each, and Austin Johnson and Bradley Miller added two points each.

The Tigers, now 3-6 overall and 1-2 in district play, will face the Warren County Pioneers Friday night in Smithville. The Lady Tigers will tip off at 6 p.m.