The Wilson Tigers dropped a tough five-point loss to the Mason Eagles Tuesday night, failing to rally their offense in the first quarter. Back-to-back single digit quarters in the first half left the Tigers behind the Eagles. Though the Tigers revived their offense in the second half, Mason held onto their advantage and turned it into a 67-62 win.

The Eagles’ five-point victory over the Tigers puts their season record at 3-11, while Wilson took a blow and now has a 9-12 record.

Wilson junior Asa Mitchell had a successful night from the freethrow line and under the basket. Earning 26 points, he led his team in buckets with four 2’s and three 3’s. Mitchell also shot down nine of 11 free throw shots. Wilson senior Malik Thompson and junior Michael Conard also reached double digits against the Eagles, but where the Tigers had trouble was a dip in energy in the second quarter.

Focusing on getting to the basket, the Tigers earned nine points in the first quarter. Thompson, Moore and Mitchell all scored 2-pointers against the Eagles. Wilson senior Cobey Sellers also scored a 3-pointer, but without the defense to back up their 2-point game, the Tigers faced a 3-point barrage from Eagle Cody Hicks. He completed a trio of 3’s, helping lead his team to a 16-point scoring streak. The Eagles also made it to the basket for three 2’s and garnered a 16-9 lead over the Tigers.

Missed free throws in the second quarter left the Tigers with an even bigger deficit. Conard was able to score a 3-pointer and a bucket, but Mitchell was the only other Tiger to score a bucket. Shooting down a 3-pointer, Mitchell ended the Tigers’ scoring at just eight points.

Mason also experienced a slow offensive quarter. They added eight points to the scoreboard with most of their points coming from the free-throw line. Wilson sent Hicks to the line for five shots and he shot down four of those. Hicks also completed a 2-pointer and had backup from teammate Cody Taylor, who also earned a bucket.

Though the Tigers were able to pick up their defense and hold the Eagles to eight points, they still faced a 24-17 deficit at the end of the half.

The Tigers revived their offense in the third quarter. They rallied behind Mitchell and focused on completing free throw shots, which resulted in a 15-point scoring streak. Mitchell completed a 3-pointer and made it to the basket for a layup. Conard and Thompson also earned a 2-pointer. The Tigers scored six of 10 free throw shots, helping them earn their first double digit scoring streak.

Mason saw a renewed Wilson offense and matched their speed and shooting efforts in the third quarter. Eagle Cole Beets scored a trio of 2’s and Mason also had another boost from the freethrow line. Busting out 19 points, the Eagles managed to stay ahead of the Tigers, 43-32.

Now facing a 11-point deficit, the Tigers had a major comeback in the fourth quarter, earning a 30-point scoring streak. Mitchell scored a pair of 2’s and a 3-pointer, but it was from the free-throw line where he helped kickstart his team’s revival. He scored eight of nine free throws, earning half of the Tigers’ 30-point boost. Thompson also helped lead the Tigers’ comeback with a 3-pointer, a layup and three free throws. Conard chimed in with his third 2-pointer and a 3-pointer.

Despite the Tigers busting out 30 points, the Eagles were able to score 24 points that cemented their lead into a 67-62 victory. The Tigers’ five-point loss to Mason marked their sixth consecutive loss.

Wilson is scheduled to travel to Butner on Friday, Feb. 7 with tip-off set for 8 p.m. Butner High School’s varsity boys’ squad is currently ranked 9th in Class B and has a 19-2 season record.