The Tigers knew coming in that this would be unlike any team they’ve faced this season, as EE boasts a pair of nearly-7 footers .. one a Division 1 recruit .. and the Raptor big men are definitely difference makers, but it was Executive Education’s shooting that allowed the Raptors to take leads of 21-6 after one quarter and 43-17 at the break.

EE hit six three pointers in the first quarter .. three straight after a bucket to open the game .. and scored inside with 4:30 left to take a 13-0 lead. 

Brody Burleigh ended the Tiger drought with a bucket with 4:19 left, followed by a Karson Dominick floater with three minutes remaining that made it 16-4 EE. The Raptors would hit three more threes before the end of the frame and Burleigh would find the basket again and draw a foul, but the senior missed the free throw and the score was 21-6 after one.

Dominick finished with 17 points to lead the Tigers and Burleigh added 15 in his final game for NPM. Fellow senior Sammy Lawrence had five points, while Cooper Shaw had a pair of threes for six points and Alex Davis had two points.

Burleigh and Dominick opened the second quarter with buckets and Shaw hit a three with 5:17 left in the half to cut the lead to 17 at 30-13, but that is as close as NPM would get for the rest of the game and they’d go into the break down 43-17.

Dominick hit a pair of shots to open the second half .. one a three .. and Lawrence and Shaw each hit a three and Burleigh scored inside, but EE scored 18 points and, after kicking in the running clock with 5:12 left, took a 61-30 lead into the final quarter.

The Tigers finally started getting some foul calls in the fourth quarter, and Burleigh hit 5-of-6 free throws and Dominick made 2-of-2 and added a pair of buckets, but EE would again outscore the Tigers, 17-15, to provide the 78-45 final.

The loss ends North Penn-Mansfield’s season with a record of 25-4 .. including a 16-0 league and a 10-0 divisional record .. and an NTL-I championship.

_____________