Booker O’Neill, Owen O’Dell and their Excelsior Springs varsity boys teammates had a reason to cheer the night of Jan. 16.

And cheer they did. Following the squad’s 64-42 win over Cameron in the seventh-place game of the Lawson Invitational Tournament, one could hear the Tigers whooping in their locker room in the Barker Center. The celebration is “the best part” of basketball, according to coach Ian Burch.

“These guys, absolutely, they deserve it,” Burch said. “We’re going to celebrate every, single win we get. They were hyped. The coaches were hyped. That’s what you do it for. That’s what makes it fun.”

It’s important to celebrate victories because of the nature of the sport, Burch said.

“Basketball’s a tricky game,” he said. “It doesn’t always love you – love you back.”

O’Neill and O’Dell helped give the Tigers reason to celebrate. O’Neill, a senior, poured in 23 points to lead all scorers. O’Dell, a junior, contributed 14 points, including 10 second-half points. Sophomore Spence Gibbs a…