Defense hasn't won a championship yet, but it has the A&M Consolidated Tigers pointed in that direction.

The Tigers scored 17 points while holding Bryan scoreless during a stretch of over six and a half minutes to finish a sweep of the Crosstown Showdown basketball with a 58-22 victory Tuesday at Tiger Gym.

"We have been trying to focus on defense all year long and when you play good defense and you stop what the other team in trying to do, and put some buckets together, you get you a lead," A&M Consolidated coach Rick German said.

The win kept the Tigers tied for the 12-5A lead. They are tied with Harker Heights at 7-1 after the Knights beat Temple 64-46. For the season, A&M Consolidated improved to 23-4. Bryan dropped to 1-7 and 3-17.

"They are a good ball club," Bryan coach Chris Jones said of Consol. "They've got good length, good shooters and good inside play."

Bryan was limited to six field goals in the game, including a pair or 3-pointers, and the Vikings did not have a double-figure scorer. Jabrel Hanks, the only senior currently playing for Bryan because of grades and injuries, had nine points, getting five of those at the free throw line. Hanks couldn't stop the Vikings from falling, but he made sure it wasn't a bottomless pit.

"They are a good defensive team, no doubt about it," Jones said. "In the halfcourt, they get out and play passing lanes. They are well coached and they've got good legs and it's awfully had to overcome that."

Junior Marqest Merrett scored with 5:44 left in the opening period to cut A&M Consolidated's lead to 5-2. The Vikings did not have another basket until eight minutes, nine seconds later, when Hanks drove in for a score and drew a foul, thinly slicing into what became a 24-5 A&M Consolidated lead. The only point scored by the Vikings between baskets was a free throw from Merrett with 7:03 left in the second period.

Jimmie Gilbert scored a game-high 14 points, mostly from a high-post position, where he was the fulcrum that started much of the Tigers' offensive attack, but good passing helped finish it. The last four Consol baskets of the third period came on assists. Ryan Johnson had two of those baskets, including one pass that skipped off a Bryan defender for an easy score. Alex Caruso handed out two of those assists. Caruso scored just nine points but his defense on the outside edge for the Tigers coupled with the defensive play of Josh Stewart to create fits as Bryan tried to set up its offense.

"A lot of people think that just because you play inside that you can't guard outside or you're not quick," German said. "Jimmie is one of the best defenders I have because he is quick enough to get out and cover a guard on occasion and he's big and strong enough to guard in the box. He's a load."

Offensively, the youthful Vikings were forced to think about what was best. The Tigers played with more offensive abandon, setting up plays nicely, while never fearful to be creative.

"I tell the kids all the time, just play," German said. "I don't want my kids to play afraid that they might make a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes, but when they don't have the burden of having to think about everything, it allows them to be more comfortable in their game."

Both teams played their bench players extensively -- but for Bryan, it was a necessity, with just two backups. Jones says that means there is no substitution pattern.

"Whoever is the most tired gets to come out," Jones said. "It's something we are going to have to adjust to. I think we may be like that for the next few games. We were like that Friday night last week."

Before the game-opening tip, it was obvious that the Tigers were much taller. Almost immediately afterward, it became apparent that they had much longer arms. Overplaying passing lanes, the Tigers invited the Vikings to throw lateral passes. They did, and they paid for it.

"We are very blessed to be long," German said of his rangy outside players. "The kids who are playing the wings in the defense and the post are long and they get their hands on a lot of passes. That makes for a lot of opportunities."

The Vikings did not help themselves as much as they might even when unguarded, hitting just eight of 19 free throw attempts. The Tigers, already well in control, put a stranglehold on their second season win over Bryan in the third quarter. After Josh Gibbs opened the quarter with a Bryan basket that left the Tigers' lead at 32-14, Consol had a 14-0 run. Seven different Tigers scored in that stretch, with Alex Caruso getting his only bucket of the quarter with a steal and dunk, the second time he had done that.

A&M Consolidated 58, Bryan 22

Bryan (4-17, 1-7) -- Quaylon Newton 1 0-0 3 3; Marquest Merrett 2 3-4 1 8; Jabrel Hanks 2 5-7 0 9; V. J. Banks 0 0-0 2 0; Josh Gibbs 1 0-0 1 2; Sterlng Whitley 0 0-0 2 0; Hollis Ballom 0 0-4 1 0. Totals: 6 8-19 10.

3-pters -- Newton, Merrett.

A&M Consolidated (23-4, 7-1) -- Josh Stewart 3 1-2 2 7; Josh Potter 0 0-0 3 0; Quinton White 2 1-2 0 7; Kerry Thomas 3 0-1 3 7; Alex Caruso 3 3-4 0 9; Jeremy Capps 3 0-0 2 6; Jimmie Gilbert 6 2-4 2 14; Ryan Johnson 4 0-2 5 8; Josh Kipp 0 0-0 1 0. Totals: 24 7-13 18 58,

3-pters -- White (2), Thomas,

Bryan 2 10 5 5 -- 22

Consol17 15 18 8 -- 58

Next: Copperas Cove is at Bryan and Killeen Shoemaker plays at A&M Consolidated Friday.

JV: Bryan 64, A&M Consolidated 62.