Patriots hold off Mohigans

COACHES AGAINST CANCER HOLIDAY CLASSIC

BY JOSH STROPE

The Dominion Post

Morgantown High has been steamrolling through the competition so far this season. With the talent level depleted in the NCAC, they scheduled quality teams in South Charleston and George Washington to come and test just how good they really were.

After a win over South Charleston, the boys were able to feel confident by coming back from a horrendous start and notch the win. They're reward for a hard fought victory: a game against the No. 4 team in the state.

This time, the comeback fell just short as the Patriots were able to come away with a 67-64 win to be crowned winners of the Coaches Against Cancer Holiday Classic.

Down 54-47 at the end of the third quarter, the Mohigans went on a 10-2 run to take the lead by one on a Chris Carey floater in the lane. MHS would score the next seven points to go up by nine with a little over three minutes to play.

"We wanted them to come and get us and that's what they did and we couldn't do anything about it," MHS coach Tom Yester said.

GWHS would come roaring back to within one. Emil Siriwardane would get fouled and sent to the line to stretch the lead with only 47 seconds remaining. He missed the front end of the one-and-one.

Andrew Payne took the ball up the floor and found Ben Adkins under the hoop for the easy lay-in and the lead.

Marlin Robinson drove to the other end and was fouled on the way to the hoop. With a chance to take the lead or tie, Robinson missed both shots.

D.J. Johnson snatched his game-high ninth rebound for the Patriots and was fouled, sending him to the line. He would connect on both shots for the three point lead with 4.2 seconds to go.

Migel Lockett's last second 3-point shot fell short as time expired.

"Hopefully this loss hurts them and they can learn from it," Yester said. "I know it sure hurts me."

Unlike the previous night when four Mohigans scored in double digits, this game featured only two. Robinson scored 16 points, Carey had 15.

Adkins was the high man for the Patriots with 16 points.

The Mohigans got off to a slow start for the second consecutive night, but were unable to rally back again.

"We tried to push the ball up the floor quick but they would come back and bang us inside," Yester said. "They stuck it down our throats."

Yester was pleased with the resiliency of his team, battling back and not giving up.

"We did some good things and we did some bad things," Yester said. "We just stumbled at the end and we have our own selves to kick."

The Mohigans will head back into conference play when they host North Marion on January 4.