The 2021 Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament came to a close with the Eureka Hornets claiming their first ever tournament title by cruising to a 55-30 win over the Farmington Farmers. Eureka had won a tournament trophy two other times before: 4th place in 2012 and Runner-Up in 2018.
A championship looked unlikely as early as Day 1, when Eureka’s Tyler Heffren scored a layup with 35 seconds left in their opening round game to beat Abingdon-Avon by just two points. That scare must’ve awoken the Hornets…because their next three tournament victories were by an average margin of just over 19 points per game.
Eureka scored the game’s first two points with a Slater Wilcox jumper just 13 seconds into the contest. The Hornets – hungry for their first title – would never relinquish that lead. Eureka shot an astonishing 13-of-16 (81.3%) from the floor in the second half. For the entire game, they even shot an impressive 23-for-37 (62.2%), including 5-of-9 from beyond the 3-point line.
Farmington wasn’t getting the same rolls, shooting just 13-for-41 (31.7%) from field goals in the Championship game. The Farmers, down early, were trying to claw their way back in from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get many to fall, shooting just 3-for-17 from 3-point land.
Eureka was led in scoring by three players who turned in double-digit efforts: Tyler Heffren (16 points), Trevor Heffren (14 points), and Slater Wilcox (10 points). Wilcox, along with Tyler Tate led the Hornets in rebounds with five each. Trevor Heffren led the game with four assists. Both Heffren brothers were named to the All-Tournament Team following the game.
The Farmers’ leading scorer was Corbin Rutledge, who finished with nine points. Logan Morse added eight points. Both Rutledge and Morse were named to the All-Tournament Team after the game. Ethan Evans and Keauntrey Barnes tied with four rebounds, to lead the team.
After the game, Eureka’s Tyler Heffren was honored as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He averaged 20 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and didn’t miss a free throw in the entire tournament (10-for-10).
Box Score
Farmington Info
Eureka Info
Chris Derry
December 29, 2021
