Imperial Tigers claim Tiger Classic Tournament title

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA) - The high school basketball season may still be young, but the intensity was high this weekend as Imperial hosted the Tiger Classic Tournament championship.

With home-court advantage, the Tigers delivered a statement win over the visiting Brawley Wildcats.

Imperial set the tone early. Marc Vitela sparked the Tigers with a burst of defensive pressure, jumping an inbounds pass and taking it the length of the floor for an easy layup.

Moments later, Vitela showed his hustle on the offensive end as well, crashing the boards for a put-back that pushed Imperial ahead 12-5.

Brawley struggled to find rhythm in the first quarter, but a loose ball finally bounced their way, allowing Jayden Travis to hit a floater for a much-needed basket.

The Wildcats continued to fight, with Travis scooping up a loose ball and kicking it out to Adam Duran, who buried a wide-open corner three to help keep Brawley within reach.

But the Tigers answered immediately once again through Vitela, who stepped into a catch-and-shoot three that stretched the lead right back out.

Imperial carried their first-half momentum through the final two quarters, controlling the pace and maintaining a steady double-digit lead.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Tigers secured the tournament crown with a convincing 63-45 victory.