Closing 2025 with third-place hardware from the Legends Bank Holiday Classic at Linn High School following a victory over Tipton, Jeff Schultz’s Belle Tigers will enter 2026 with a 6-2 record.

Falling to Newburg and Fatima, the Tigers have posted notches in the win column over Linn, New Haven, Vienna, Sullivan, Eldon and Tipton.

Based upon official statistics available on six of their eight games, senior Hank Stratman leads the Tigers in the scoring column with a sweet 16 points per game.

Surpassing the 20-point plateau in three games, Stratman posted a season-high 22 points at New Haven while calling blackjack twice with 21 points in contests against Eldon and Linn.

Second on the team in rebounds behind Hank Willis’ 8.7 boards per game, Stratman averages 7.2 boards a contest with his season best coming as part of a double double at New Haven with 10 rebounds.

Also reaching double digits in the scoring column, Garrett Gehlert checks in with 14.2 points per game and team-highs in assists and steals with 5.5 and 2.8 per game respectively.

Gehlert’s season-high in the scoring column came against Tipton’s Cardinals at Linn with 24 points.

During Belle’s season-opening 66-49 victory over Linn, Gehlert nearly posted a double double finishing with nine points and a career-high 15 assists.

Nearly averaging a double double each night with 8.5 points and a team-leading 8.7 rebounds per game, Willis had one to his credit with 10 points and a season-high 14 rebounds against Newburg’s Wolves.

Willis has also posted a season-high 18 points against Eldon in Belle’s 68-48 first-round victory over the Mustangs at the Legends Bank Holiday Classic in Linn.

Belle Tiger basketball fans looking to see their home team in action should mark these January dates on their calendar as it turns to 2026 later this week.

After a Monday, Jan. 5 road trip to New Bloomfield in their 2026 opener, Belle will host Iberia’s Rangers the next night on Tuesday, Jan. 6 with a 5:30 p.m., tip time for JV action.

That week will continue with a Highway 89 showdown between the host Tigers and Chamois Pirates on Thursday, Jan. 8 with a 6 p.m., start time before their fourth game of the week on Friday, Jan. 9 with a Highway 94 road trip into Mokane to take on South Callaway’s Bulldogs.

Crocker’s Lions will then visit Belle High School (BHS) on Monday, Jan. 12 before Schultz’s Tigers host Dixon’s Bulldogs on Tuesday, Jan. 13 for senior night at BHS with a 5:30 p.m., start time for the JV contest.

Following a Saturday, Jan. 17 quadrupleheader at Cuba, Belle’s Tigers will then host their annual home tournament from Jan. 19-24 before ending January at the Hermann Invitational Basketball Tournament from Jan. 26-31.