The Marshall County Tigers started the 2013-2014 campaign with a roar Monday night, taking down Lincoln County 53-44 at the Dottie Kelso Memorial Gymnasium in Lewisburg.

"It's always nice to open up the season with a win," said MCHS head coach Adrian Wilson. "Our guys play so hard and playing hard helped us overcome a rusty performance. We are behind since most of our guys have been in football."

Ahead throughout

The Tigers never trailed in the contest thanks to a fast start, but they had to hold back a third quarter comeback by the Falcons before putting the game away in the fourth quarter.

"We had a double digit lead in the first half and let that slip," said Wilson. "Lincoln County never gave up, but our depth is what finally sealed it for us."

Depth it was as the Tigers put the defensive pressure on from the outset, taking the Falcons out of their rhythm.

"I knew if we kept the defensive pressure on and kept rotating our guys it would have an effect on them," said Wilson. "We have a lot of guys that can do so many things for us right now and I feel like we are 10 deep."

Welcome problem

Wilson added, "It's a nice problem to have, as far as finding ways to get guys in the rotation and each one of them is committed to the team first attitude."

MCHS took a 5-0 lead, beginning with an Aaron Hobbs lay-up, followed by a deep three-ball moments later by the lone Tiger senior.

Ryan Hall scored for the first Falcons' basket of the game before Hobbs converted on a nice up and under move to the hoop.

Xavier Tally-Hyde made it 7-4, but the Tigers surged, scoring five straight to take a 12-4 lead.

Lincoln was able to cut the lead to 14-8 by the end of the first quarter and Hobbs and Talley-Hyde traded baskets to begin period number two.

A single free throw by Kasey Pleas plus consecutive baskets from Malek Sain upped the MCHS lead to 21-10 with five minutes remaining in the first half.

The Falcons swooped back to within two points of the Tigers after back-to-back three-pointers by Talley-Hyde and Trevor Jean.

Tigers stop run

After the Jean trey, Curtis Keiler put a stop to Lincoln County's 9-0 run with a three-pointer and MCHS held a 26-24 lead after the end of the first half.

Lincoln County would tie the game twice early in the third quarter before MCHS regained the momentum, beginning with tough basket in the paint by Pleas.

Chris Walker followed by scoring all four of his points in the game and added a pretty assist on a Hobbs basket to make it a 39-31 ballgame.

The Falcons stayed close with 5-2 mini-run to finish the period, trailing 41-36.

Hobbs hits it

Hobbs sent notice to the Falcons that the Tigers wanted the game when he drilled a three-bomb to begin the fourth quarter.

Midway through the period, Sain scored to match the Tigers' biggest lead of the contest at eleven points 49-38.

Lincoln County would only get as close as seven points the rest of the way as the Tigers cruised home for win.

Hobbs lead all scorers in the contest with 16, while Sain scored 14, Pleas added nine, Walker and D'Andre Brown netted four points each, Keiler had the one trey, Jay Howard netted a deuce, and Darius McKenzie added a single tally.

'Fun team'

"We did not stand out in any one area except effort, but I think everyone saw a glimmer of what we can become with more practice and more work," said Wilson. "We will be a fun team to watch that's for sure and we will do whatever it takes to get the 'W'."

On Tuesday, MCHS lost 66-53 to Columbia Central in Lewisburg, as the Tigers could not comeback from a 34-22 halftime deficit.

Sain led all scorers in the game with 24 points, including four treys, while Hobbs added 10; McKenzie netted nine, Howard had four points, and Pleas and Walker scored two points each.

Ashante Brown led the Lions with 16 points.