For the first half, Excelsior Springs senior Jake Zapata and his fellow Tigers kept their varsity boys basketball season opener with Kansas City East close.The Bears, however, pulled away the second half, handing the Tigers a 58-37 defeat Nov. 26 at Excelsior Springs.East led 20-8 after one quarter. A trio of three-point buckets by Zapata helped Excelsior Springs halve the margin during the second quarter.The Bears pulled away with a 14-7 third quarter. They outscored the Tigers 17-9 the final quarter.Sparked by his outside shooting, Zapata led Excelsior Springs with 13 points. His stat line also included five rebounds and three assists.Zapata was one of two Tigers in double figures. Cole Rhine contributed 10 points and grabbed three rebounds. Other scorers were seniors Easton Ryan and Carson Gholson with five points each, and Brody Querry with four. Querry, a juni...