MHS holds off Huskies

Vidovich;s two 3's key victory

PREPROUNDUP

BY JUSTIN JACKSON

The Dominion Post

North Marion had whittled an 11-point Morgantown High lead to four Friday, and the Mohigans' offense was looking ... well ...

"The offense was going nowhere fast," MHS coach Tom Yester said.

And that was putting it kindly.

North Marion was seizing the momentum, just as it had in the previous meeting with the Mohigans, an 82-78 double-overtime Huskies victory.

Good thing the Mohigans had Justin Vidovich.

For a few moments to open the fourth quarter, the game belonged to him.

3-pointer from the left wing ... Vidovich knocks it down.

Vidovich is going to try another one ... good!!!

Morgantown got the victory, 51-48. Vidovich got the save.

"North Marion was really packing in its zone because their big guys were in some foul trouble," Vidovich said. "Bobby (Prim) kicked it over to my side and I was open, so I took the shots."

Listening to Vidovich, who finished with a game-high 16 points, talk about the moment, it may sound all cut-and-dried and easy to pull off, but ...

"It was a big point in the game, because they were coming back," he said. "I was a little surprised they left me open, but I'm very thankful those shots went in."

After Vidovich's 30 seconds of glory, the Mohigans' lead was back up to 42-32. If not for some shaky free-throw shooting down the stretch by the Mohigans (12-3), the Huskies (6-8) may never have made it a contest.

"Vido's shots to begin the fourth quarter were huge," Yester said. "It gave the team the lift it needed at a time in the game where they could carry the momentum to the end."

The victory gave the Mohigans a four-game winning streak and revenge from the earlier defeat.

"I think getting a win over them after they beat us was the most important thing tonight," Vidovich said. "We really should have beaten them the first time we played them. North Marion is a team we could possibly play in the regional, so this win was very important to us."

The game was a defensive struggle all the way, as both teams relied on full-court pressure.

"I thought the key was our defense and everybody chipping in," Yester said. "We didn't have a great shooting night, but everybody contributed something to this win."

Ronnie Shaver had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Mohigans. Prim added seven assists.

Rocky Manchin led North Marion with 14 points.

In other boys' games:

* Thomas Hooton led three Preston players in double figures with 23 points as the Knights pulled out a 67-60 victory over Buckhannon-Upshur, at Tennerton. Chris Hartley added 15 points and six rebounds for the Knights (4-12) and Harry Hayes 12 points.

* Clay-Battelle's hopes of sharing the Mason Dixon Conference title were dashed with a 70-51 loss to Weirton Madonna. The Blue Dons (11-3) held C-B's leading scorer, Matt Eddy, to just seven points. Chris Blair led Madonna with 22 points. Philip Bane toppe d C-B (11-5) with 22 and Mike Simpson added 11.

* Trinity outscored Emmanuel Baptist, 54-9, in the second half and won, 92-30, at Clarksburg. Josh Keys and freshman Brian Camp led the way with 20 points each for Trinity (5-10). All of Camp's points came after halftime. Andy Shultz and Jacob Callen adde d 10 and 15.

MORGANTOWN 51, NORTH MARION 48

NORTH MARION (6-8)

Manchin 5 4-5 14, Martin 0 1-2 1, Vernon 1 0-2 2, Lambert 4 0-0 10, Sell 3 0-1 9, Jarman 4 0-2 8, Pethtal 1 0-0 2, Swiger 0 0-0 0, Martz 0 2-3 2. Totals 18 7-15 48.

MORGANTOWN (12-3)

Hedges 2 2-2 6, Prim 2 0-1 4, Shaver 6 1-4 13, Vidovich 6 1-2 16, Dalton 0 0-0 0, Fogarty 1 0-0 2, Murray 2 1-2 5, Rodamer 0 1-3 1, Simpson 2 0-0 4, Williams 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 6-14 51.

North Marion 11 6 15 16 -- 48

Morgantown12 14 10 15 -- 51

3-point goals--Morgantown 3 (Vidovich 3), North Marion 5 (Sell 3, Lambert 2). Rebounds--Morgantown 35 (Shaver 8), North Marion 33 (Jarman 11).