The Excelsior Springs varsity boys basketball team ended last week’s Husker Classic on a winning note. After opening with a 70-33 loss Dec. 5 to host school Lafayette County of Higginsville and then falling 73-48 Dec. 6 to Kansas City-based charter school Hogan Prep Academy, the Tigers edged Odessa 51-45 Dec. 9 in the seventh-place game – their first win this season. Excelsior Springs used stifling on-ball pressure to jump out to a 13-2 lead and fended off multiple runs by Odessa to get the win. The Tigers led 22-15 at halftime. The Bulldogs edged the Tigers 32-29 the second half. The Tigers forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 16 points. Excelsior Springs also used inside shooting to get the win, scoring 28 points in the paint. Brendan Blackburn led the Tigers in scoring with 11 points. The senior’s stat line also included five assists and three steals. Senior Trevor Stanton secured his first double-double th...