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Robert C. Byrd breeze past Phillip Barbour
ROBERT C. BYRD 89, Philip Barbour 57:
Robert C. Byrd had four players in double-figures, led by Donnie Johnson's 21 points, to breeze past homestanding Philip Barbour 89-57 Tuesday night.
Also contributing to the Eagles cause were Louie Nardelli and Jon Calvert with 14 points apiece, while Braden Hoffman knocked down 13.
Robert C. Byrd (89)
Johnson 6 6-10 21; Hoffman 5 3-7 13; Nardelli 5 2-2 14; Calvert 4 6-8 14; M Cox 3 3-4 9; K. Cox 3 1-1 7; Lee 2 1-2 5; Lawrence 1 1-2 3; Saas 1 0-0 2; Daugherty 0 1-2 1; Totals 35 24-38 89.
Philip Barbour (57)
Thompson 7 2-6 16; Barkley 4 2-4 11; Cole 3 3-5 10; Yeager 3 3-5 9; Dickerson 1 0-0 3; Jones 1 0-0 2; McDaniel 3 0-0 6; Totals 22 10-22 57.
Robert C. Byrd
17
21
27
24_89
Philip Barbour
21
14
11
11_57
3-Point Goals:
Johnson 3, Nardelli 2, Cole, Dickerson.
Updated January 23, 1997
Late Surge Lifts
No. 3 Mt. Lions
To 73-67 Victory
By CHRIS ERRINGTON
For over 27 minutes, the Liberty boys basketball team did everything it had to do to beat Class AA No. 3 Tucker County Tuesday night. But, the Mountaineers found out the hard way that a basketball game lasts 32 minutes and when playing the Mountain Lions, you need to play a whole game in order to win.
Leading 61-53, Liberty (4-3) watched in disbelief as Tucker (7-1) went on an 11-2 run over the next 2:11 to take back the lead 64-63. It would be a lead that the Mt. Lions would never relinquish.
When it needed them most, Tucker got production from its best players. During the run, forward Josh Bunnell knocked down eight points, and Wesley Lambert nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer as the Mt. Lions finally escaped with a 73-67 win.
TCHS coach Tom Gutshall said it was an important victory for his state-ranked team.
"This was a very big win for us tonight," said Gutshall. "We knew coming in that Liberty was probably the best team that we were going to play all season and that it would be a tough task for us to win.
"(Before the run) We called a timeout because we were standing around too much on offense. After the timeout, we picked up the defense and started rebounding the ball better, and I think that was the key to the game."
Liberty coach Russ Nutt had a different view of the run that cost his team the game.
"I feel like we let this one get away from us tonight," said Nutt. "Unforced turnovers, we couldn't guard 20 (Bunnell) in the fourth quarter, and we don't want to screen on offense. Those were the keys to the game."
He added, "We have got to play harder when the game is abreast in the fourth quarter if we want to win the tough ones."
True to both teams' forms, the game started like a track meet and didn't stop until the final horn. Liberty proceeded to shoot the ball from the outside, while the Mt. Lions continually pounded the ball down low to take advantage of their height advantage. Both teams used their offenses to near perfection as neither gained a lead larger than four points throughout the first half. After one quarter, the Mountaineers led 21-17, and eight minutes later were still holding onto their slim lead at 32-31.
The teams traded baskets in the third quarter, until trailing 42-37, Liberty began playing a full-court pressing defense that caused the Mt. Lions problems. The result was a 9-0 run that put the hosts up 46-42. Bryan Harman scored four of his 12 points in the run that put Liberty in control.
However, just when it looked like the Mountaineers would run away with the game, Tucker had an answer. It was able to close the gap to 55-51 one minute into the final quarter, before Liberty stretched the lead to 59-51 on an Anthony Bellotte steal and layup. The Mt. Lions then called timeout which stopped Liberty's momentum and allowed them to go on their game-winning run.
Down the stretch, Liberty couldn't buy a basket and Tucker canned seven free throws in the last 1:17 to seal the game.
For the contest, Tucker placed four players in double-digits, led by Bunnell's 25. Mike Gaither contributed 14, while Jimmy Aliff and Lambert knocked down 11 and 10, respectively.
For the Mountaineers, Brian Ross scored 25 points, while Guy Curotz joined Harman with 12.
Tucker County (73)
Gaither
6 2-3 14; Bunnell 9 2-3 25; Smith 1 0-0 2; Kisamore 1 1-2 3; Lambert 3 2-2 10; Simmons 3 2-2 8; Aliff 4 3-3 11; Totals 27 12-15 73.
Liberty (67)
Bellotte 3 2-4 9; Nutt 1 2-3 5; Flanagan 0 2-2 2; Harman 5 1-1 12; Knight 0 2-2 2; Ross 9 7-7 25; Curotz 6 0-0 12. Totals 24 16-19 67.
Tucker County
17
14
15
27_73
Liberty
21
11
19
16_67
3-Point Goals:
Bunnell 5, Lambert 2, Bellotte, Nutt.
Updated January 23, 1997
Stingy 'D' Keys Lincoln's 56-46 Win over Hawks
By CHARLES CASEY
LOST CREEK _ Lincoln used a stingy second-half defense to defeat South Harrison, 56-46, in a Harrison County and Big 10 Conference contest Tuesday night at the SHHS gymnasium.
The first half was very competitive as neither team had a lead larger than four points. The Hawks were able to take a 25-23 advantage into the intermission behind 10 points from Adam Davisson.
However, the Cougars (4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Big 10) used a 1-3-chaser defense with Clark Riley hounding Davisson. It worked to perfection as SH made only 3-of-20 shots in the third period and 9-of-36 for the second half.
"We changed the defense up a little bit (at halftime) and that seemed to bother them," explained Lincoln coach Dennis Hutson. "We also picked up our intensity in the second half, because I thought in the first half we were caught a little flat-footed on defense."
Hawks' coach Robert Shields also thought the Cougars defense in the final 16 minutes and especially in the third period was the turning point in the contest.
"They went to that 1-3-chaser on Adam (Davisson) and we didn't knock down our shots," stated Shields. "We didn't get any ball movement or player movement like we did in the first half and we have got to get other guys to step up and make some shots."
While the Hawks weren't making any baskets, the Cougars went on a 9-0 run to begin the decisive third period with Riley being the catalyst. He made a 3-pointer and assisted on two other hoops.
Riley went on to hit another trey for seven points in the period to stake Lincoln to a 38-31 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of play.
The Hawks (0-9 and 0-4) pulled to within two points, 38-36, on a Davisson 3-pointer. However, that was as close as SH would get as Danny Hardesty scored seven points and Brian Edwards added four during a 12-4 run to put LHS comfortably ahead, 50-40, with 1:54 remaining.
Hardesty paced the Cougars with 15 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Riley followed with 11 points and dished out five assists.
"I thought Danny (Hardesty) did a good job for us on the boards," said Hutson. "Brian Edwards had a good second half and Clark Riley had a nice floor game and also a tough assignment guarding Davisson all night."
Davisson took game-scoring honors for the Hawks with 20 points which included three 3-pointers while also grabbing 11 rebounds. Tommy Sears followed with eight markers.
Lincoln (56)
Barnes 2 3-4 7; Riley 3 3-7 11; Edwards 2 4-5 8; Lane 3 0-0 6; Hardesty 5 5-9 15; Pravda 0 0-1 0; Buckhannon 2 0-0 5; Pritt 2 0-0 4; Totals 19 15-26 56.
South Harrison (46)
Davisson 8 1-2 20; Wilson 2 0-0 6; Sears 4 0-0 8; Jenkins 2 1-2 5; Devericks 1 0-0 2; Kintz 0 0-1 0; Blair 1 0-0 2; Welch 1 0-0 3; Totals 19 2-5 46.
Lincoln
12
11
15
18_56
South Harrison
12
13
6
15_46
3-Point Goals:
_ Riley 2, Buckhannon, Davisson 3, Wilson 2, Welch.
Updated January 23, 1997
Lewis County Holds off Braxton;
Morgantown Trims East Fairmont
LEWIS COUNTY 68, Braxton County 61:
Refusing to fold in a very close basketball game, Lewis County emerged with a 68-61 win over visiting Braxton County Tuesday night in boys prep basketball.
The Minutemen were paced by Jared Ramsburg and Danny Spaur with 19 and 15 points, respectively.
Braxton County (61)
Casto 1 0-0 3; Lloyd 1 2-3 5; Pletcher 3 3-5 10; Stout 9 5-5 24; Rollyson 3 4-6 12; Tolley 1 0-1 3; Meadows 1 0-0 2; Marple 1 0-0 2; Totals 20 14-20 61.
Lewis County (68)
Spaur 7 1-6 15; Barilea 0 3-4 3; West 0 5-6 5; Ramsburg 6 7-8 19; Bussey 3 0-0 6; Mace 4 0-0 8; Craig 2 2-4 6; Orvik 3 0-0 6; Totals 25 18-28.
Braxton County
12
15
10
24_61Lewis County 17
14
14
23_68
3-Point Goals:
Casto, Lloyd, Pletcher, Stout, Rollyson (2), Tolley.
MORGANTOWN 38, East Fairmont 37:
Josh Reaser shot 9-of-15 from the field with his biggest shot coming at the most opportune time. Reaser nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to propel the Mohigans over homestanding East Fairmont in NCAC cage action last night.
Reaser scored a game-high 24 points.
East Fairmont was led by Eli Gurash with 11 points followed by Jay Vincent with 10 markers.
Morgantown (38)
Maust 2-7 0-0 4; Gores 1 0-0 2; Reaser 9 0-1 24; Christoff 1 0-0 2; Marstiller 1 0-1 2; Yester 1 0-0 2; Cyphert 1 0-0 2; Totals 16 0-2 38.
East Fairmont (37)
Gurash 3 2-2 11; Morton 2 0-0 4; Richards 2 1-3 5; Smith 1 0-0 3; Bilotta 1 0-2 2; Vincent 5 0-0 10; West 0 2-7 2; Totals 14 5-14 37.
Morgantown
11
4
8
15_38
East Fairmont
10
10
7
10_37
3-Point Goals:
Gurash 3, Smith.
GILMER COUNTY 58, Calhoun County 56:
Chris Bame sank a desperation 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to lift Gilmer County past visiting Calhoun County 58-56 in boys high school basketball action Tuesday night.
The Titans were down 56-55 with four seconds left in the game and had to go the length of the court for a bucket.
The inbounds pass was taken at halfcourt and was promptly thrown to Bame near the right corner where he sank his desperation shot for the win.
Gilmer (7-2) was led by Chad Drennen with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Shaun Smith added 13 markers for the hosts.
Josh Romage led the Red Raiders (3-7) with 16 points followed by Jason Stevens and Lucas Cain with 14 and 10, respectively.
Calhoun Co. (56)
Cain 4 2-4 10; Stevens 6 0-0 14; Wilson 2 2-2 6; Heiney 1 2-2 4; Worf 2 2-2 6; Romage 7 2-5 16; Totals 22 10-15 56.
Gilmer Co. (58)
Wolfe 3 3-4 9; Smith 5 3-4 13; Drennen 6 6-10 18; Bame 2 1-2 8; Co. Earle 2 0-0 4; Ca. Earle 1 0-0 3; Butler 1 1-2 3; Brady 1 0-0 2; Totals 21 14-22 58.
Calhoun
7
14
16
19_56Gilmer 13
12
12
21_58
3-Point Goals:
Stevens 2, Bame.
TYLER CONSOLIDATED 55, Ritchie County 52:
Tyler Consolidated overcame a two-point deficit entering the final quarter by outscoring Ritchie County 18-13 to claim a 59-52 win.
TCHS was led by Branden Boone and Matt Boggs with 18 points each, while Dom Minardi led RCHS with a game-high 19 points.
Ritchie County (52)
Thomas 2 0-0 5;
Davis 3 0-0 6; Huffman 2 0-1 4; Webb 3 2-2 8; Minardi 8 0-0 19; Satterfield 4 2-4 10; Totals 22 4-7 52.
Tyler Consolidated (55)
Cunningham 2 0-0 4; Pierpoint 2 1-2 7; Boone 8 0-3 18; Richmond 2 0-0 4; White 1 2-2 4; Boggs 6 6-12 18; Totals 21 9-19 55.
Ritchie
13
13
13
13_52
Tyler
8
16
13
18_55
3-Point Goals:
Thomas, Minardi 3, Pierpoint 2, Boone 2
PARKERSBURG CHRISTIAN 78, Emmanuel Christian 44:
Ray Robinson poured in 29 points and Shawn Douglas added 13 markers to pace homestanding Parkersburg Christian to a 78-44 win over Emmanuel Christian.
J.B. Seay led the Eagles with 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Travis Crites added 15 points for the visitors.
Emmanuel Christian (44)
Crites 7 0-0 15; Fridley 4 0-2 8; Seay 10 0-6 20; Yeager 0 1-2 1; Totals 21 1-10 44.Parkersburg Christian (78)Rogers 3 0-0 7; Douglas 6 1-2 13; Penn 5 0-0 10; Cunningham 2 1-2 5; Workman 2 0-0 4; Robinson 14 0-0 29; Bennett 3 0-0 6; Tillman 2 0-0 4; Totals 37 2-4 78.
Emmanuel Christian
6
10
18
10_44
Parkersburg Christian
18
20
23
17_78
3-Point Goals:
Crites, Rogers, Robinson.
Updated January 23, 1997
Fairmont Senior pulled off a 72-64
North Central Athletic Conference win
FAIRMONT SENIOR 72, North Marion 64:
Rallying in the fourth quarter, Fairmont Senior pulled off a 72-64 North Central Athletic Conference win over intra-county rival North Marion.
Ty Furgason led the visitors with 24 points while Kent had 16 and Bryan Garcia scored 12. Chris Freeman took game scoring honors with 31 points for North Marion and Keith Taylor netted 11.
Fairmont Senior (72)
Kent 6 4-5 26; K. Stewart 1 7-11 9; Garcia 4 3-6 12; Furgason 9 2-3 24; Hermosilla 1 1-2 3; Lampkin 0 2-2 2; B. Stewart 0 0-0 0; Meador 0 0-0 0; Johnson 1 4-6 6; Totals 22 23-35 72.
North Marion (64)
Glance 3 0-2 6; Garlow 2 2-3 6; Freeman 9 7-7 31; Taylor 4 2-4 11; Dumont 2 0-0 4; Hayes 0 2-3 2; Richardson 1 2-4 4; Williams 0 0-0 0; Deems 0 0-0 0; Totals 21 15-23 64.
Fairmont Senior
15
14
16
27_72
North Marion
12
9
29
14_64
3-Point Goals:
Furgason (4), Garcia, Freeman (6), Taylor.
Updated January 23, 1997
RCB's Johnson,
SH's Morrison
Leading Scorers
By DANNY CARPENTER
Several high school basketball players are starting to emerge as the top performers in Harrison County.
The leading scorer in boys action is Donnie Johnson of Robert C. Byrd with 21.5 points per game. Johnson is the lone top 10 scorer for the Eagles.
Brian Ross of Liberty is second in the county with an 18.5 average. Ross is joined by Bryan Harman in the top 10 at ninth with 12.5 ppg.
South Harrison's Adam Davisson is third with 18 points per game. He is followed by Bridgeport's Anthony Ziglear with 14.1 a game.
Fifth is Notre Dame's Josh Riffle. Riffle, who leads the county in 3-pointers with 32, averages 14.1 points. He is followed by Lincoln's Mike Barnes with a 13.6 average.
LaDon Garrett joins Riffle as the Irish's second top 10 scorer with a 12.8 average while Chris Kerr of Bridgeport and Danny Hardesty of Lincoln round the top 10, sandwiched around Harman, at eighth and 10th. Kerr averages 12.5 and Hardesty scores 12.4 a game.
On the girls side of the ball, South Harrison's Amber Morrison leads the county with an 18.5 average.
Lincoln paces the girls top 10 with three players as Chrissy Luchuck is second with 17.0 while Stacey Lambert and Tabitha Hutson are sixth and seventh with 11.6 and 11.1.
RCB's Leah Yertzell is third with 14.6 while Notre Dame's Toni Kay Oliverio and Clarice Dent place fourth and fifth with 13.4 and 12.2.
Bridgeport's Kristen Queen, who leads the Indians in scoring, is eighth at 10.0 and is followed by teammate Peggy Scott with 9.9 ppg.
SH's Melissa Dawson joins Morrison in the top 10 with a 9.6 average.
___COUNTY STANDINGS:
Notre Dame and Bridgeport are tied for first in the county in boys basketball while Bridgeport and Lincoln are tied for first in girls play.
In the boys, the Irish and the Indians each have a 3-1 record while Liberty is a close third with a 2-1 mark.
RCB is fourth at 1-1, Lincoln is fifth at 1-2 and SH is 0-3.
In the girls, the Indians and the Cougars, who have yet to play each other, each sport a 3-0 record while Notre Dame is 1-0 in third.
Fourth is South Harrison with a 2-4 record, fifth is RCB at 1-2 and Liberty is sixth at 0-5.
___MOTHER NATURE STRIKES AGAIN:
With memories of the bad weather that struck during last basketball season still fresh in their minds, most athletic directors and coaches were happy with the mild winter conditions until this week's "Arctic Blast."
"The next two weeks are very important," said Lincoln athletic director Mark DeFazio earlier in the week. "Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and if it doesn't, then there could be some problems.
"Right now, it's not a problem (rescheduling). Two or three more postponements and it could become a problem."
___MONDAY'S GAMES:
Two Harrison County girls teams highlight the prep hoops schedule for Monday as Clay-Battelle travels to Liberty and Bridgeport hosts Fairmont Senior.
At
Liberty, the Mountaineers are still in search of that first win as they play a solid Cee-Bee team.
LHS, 0-10, is led by Jamie Robinson, Julie Bee and Kellie Nichols.
In Bridgeport, the Indians try to avenge a loss earlier in the season to the Polar Bears.
BHS, 7-4, is led by Kristen Queen and Peggy Scott. Katy Wilson, Beth Guzzi and Jackie Codling are solid contributors.
Other girls games in the area: Magnolia at Monroe Central (Ohio), Parkersburg at Morgantown, Paden City at Valley Wetzel and Lewis County at Tucker County.
Area boys action: Buckhannon-Upshur at Philip Barbour and Highland County (Va.) at Harman.
Updated January 22, 1997
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