Cameron Tennyson is best known as a defensive stopper on the perimeter for the Licking Heights High School boys basketball team.

He’s also become more of a scoring option of late for the Hornets, who continue to zero in on their first MSL-Cardinal Division title in nearly a decade.

The 5-foot-11 guard, the team’s only senior, had his third consecutive double-digit scoring effort and fifth in six games when the Hornets won 54-50 at Grandview on Jan. 28 to improve to 12-2 overall and 8-1 in the league.

Tennyson, who scored 14 points against the Bobcats, was averaging 8.7 points for the season but 13.2 over that six-game stretch before Licking Heights played Liberty Union on Feb. 3.

“I think our other four starters, they’re kind of being keyed on so Cameron’s gotten some better looks,” coach Nathan Clark said. “At Grandview, he hit two big (3-pointers) for us in the second half and then two big free throws in the final seconds.

“(Opposing) teams keep trying to take (guards) John Righter and Tyron (Pack) and (forward Alex) Murphy out of the picture and Cameron’s really stepped up.”

Sixth-man DeAnthony Hosley also has aided the cause as the Hornets try to secure their first league title since 2002-03. West Jefferson had two MSL-Cardinal losses while both Grandview and Millersport had three entering the Feb. 3 games.

Hosley, a sophomore, matched his season high with 13 points in a 67-47 victory over Harvest Prep on Jan. 24. Moreover, he ate up minutes when Righter, a junior, left the Grandview game with a sprained ankle in the third quarter. Darius Strickland, a 6-4 junior forward, scored 16 points against the Bobcats.

“He’s a skilled shooter and can bring us offense off the bench,” Clark said of Hosley, who was averaging 6.1 points through 14 games.

“The best thing is he can play (all three guard spots) depending on what we need.”

The Hornets will be looking to avenge a 70-58 first-round setback Jan. 6 against West Jefferson when the teams play Tuesday, Feb. 7, at Licking Heights. That loss ended the team’s seven-game winning streak to open the season. The Hornets also play at Berne Union on Saturday, Feb. 11, after posting their highest point total of the season while winning the first game 92-54 on Jan. 10.

“We didn’t play our best game the first time (against the Roughriders),” Clark said. “We didn’t do the things we usually do so well, like chasing down loose balls and offensive rebounding. It’s become a big rivalry in a lot of sports, so I’m sure our guys will be ready.”

The Hornets conclude the regular season with MSL-Cardinal games Feb. 14 at Millersport and Feb. 17 at home against Fisher Catholic.

“Being in first place in the league, the target on our backs is getting bigger and bigger,” Clark said. “Millersport’s a team that can score, so we’ll have to score in bunches, too. And Fisher Catholic is playing better since they got (forward Taylor) Brady back from a football injury.

“We know we can’t take a night off.”