ST. JOHN — A season-best 36 points from junior guard Tanner Tranbarger  led the Macksville High School boys’ basketball team to a 76-55 victory over Victoria in a semifinal game of a Class 1A Division-I sub-state tournament on Friday night.
“Luckily, he came ready to play,” Macksville head coach Jeff Kuckelman said. “Otherwise, we might have been in some deep trouble. He’s been a leader all year, so he’s obviously capable of doing that.
“It’s not surprising, but it’s nice to have.”
Tranbarger went 5-for-9 from 3-point range, leading an effective Mustangs perimeter attack. Macksville went 11-for-18 (61.1 percent) from long distance.
“We played pretty well,” Kuckelman said. “It helps when the ball’s going in the hole. We shot the ball pretty well. I thought we played really well in the first half. We only had three turnovers in the first half. I thought that was great.”
Macksville put a little distance between it and Victoria in the second quarter.
Adolfo Ibarra, who finished with 14 points and a team-leading eight rebounds, sparked a 9-0 run with a three-point play with 4:43 remaining in the half.
Hugo Flores and Tranbarger followed that with one 3-pointer apiece to give the Mustangs a 24-15 advantage.
Macksville closed the first half with five unanswered points to lead 31-21.
In the first quarter, Victoria traded baskets with Macksville’s Tranbarger.
Tranbarger had a pair of 3-pointers, scoring all 10 of the Mustangs’ points as they led 10-8 after eight minutes.
Jordan Welch finished with 15 points for Macksville.
The one place Macksville struggled was on the boards.
The Knights out rebounded the Mustangs 35-25. Victoria finished with 20 offensive rebounds.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Class 5A Sub-State
Basketball Tournament

BOYS

Friday

At St. John

Semifinal

Macksville 76, Victoria 55
VICTORIA
    Sam Ottley 6 2-2 14, Conner Gagnon 1 0-1 2, Bryan Dome 2 0-0 5, Dylan Braun 3 0-0 8, Clayton Roth 0 0-2 0, Dalton Dreiling 4 0-0 10, Lane Braun 1 1-2 4, Tanner Hobbs 0 2-2 2, Phillip Nowak 5 0-1 10. Totals 22 5-10 55.
MACKSVILLE (14-7)
    Tanner Tranbarger 12 7-8 36, Hugo Flores 2 0-0 6, Adolfo Ibarra 6 2-2 14, Clayton Wood 1 0-0 2, Jordan Welch 6 0-0 15, Simon Miller 0 0-0 0, Billy Burnett 0 0-2 0, Alan Ibarra 1 0-0 3. Totals 28 9-12 76.
Victoria          8    13    18    16  —  55
Macksville    10    21    21    24  —  76
    Three-point goals — Victoria 6 (D. Dreiling 2, D. Braun 2, Dome, L. Braun); Macksville 11 (Tranbarger 5, Welch 3, Flores 2, Al. Ibarra). Total fouls — Victoria 16, Macksville 13. Fouled out — None.