Ramsey-tough defense wins for Mohigans

MHS in a scoring slump

BY JUSTIN JACKSON The Dominion Post

JUSTIN JACKSON is a sports reporter for The Dominion Post. He can be reached at sports@dominionpost.com 
Morgantown High ended its two-game losing streak and did it with defense.
The Mohigans pulled off a last-second defensive stand Friday, forcing North Marion to go to another option, and held on for a 46-44 victory, at the MHS gymnasium.
The Huskies (5-8) had the final possession of the game and called a timeout with 11 seconds left. North Marion appeared to want the ball in the hands of guard Derek Daniel, but he was being guarded closely by Morgantown’s Jared Ramsey.
Instead, Drew Richardson handled the ball, drove toward the basket and came up short on an off-balance shot. The rebound was knocked toward the sideline and the final buzzer sounded.
“It was a great defensive play by Ramsey,” MHS coach Tom Yester said. “It was his best overall game of the season.”
    The victory was a much needed one for the Mohigans (12-3), who were coming off an 18-point loss to University High and a four-point loss to Preston, in another game that was in the 40s. It also may have kept the Mohigans in the top 10, although that’s the least of Yester’s problems right now. “We need to find somebody else offensively,” Yester said. “We need somebody to score.” The Mohigans were led by Jamie Karraker’s 11 points, but he was the only MHS player in double figures. Jeff Lindsay added nine points, but didn’t score in the second half. “We won the game with defense,” Yester said. “It has to be defense for us until we can get some other guys going.”
    The No. 8 Mohigans are still without senior forward Marlan Robinson, who was released from Ruby Memorial Hospital on Friday following a car accident. It’s still uncertain of whether Robinson and his 20-point scoring average will be able to return this season.
    The Mohigans could sure use him.
    “We could use more from J.T. [Lewis], we could use more from Lindsay, we could use a little more from everybody,” Yester said. “J.T. can score a little more than five points. Lindsay’s shown he can score more.
    “What we’re getting now are scrappy games. John Hatfield played a scrappy game and so did Lindsay. Our kids are still hustling and we’re still working our ways into roles. We have kids on our team right now not used to shooting and we’ve got to get them to shoot the ball.”
    Until it happens, the Mohigans may have to expect to play in more slow-tempo defensive struggles.
    “Sure, teams will attack us like that,” Yester said. “They’re not stupid.”
    North Marion, which missed two free crucial throws down the stretch, was led by Devin Russell’s 16 points. Richardson added 10.



Jason DeProspero/The Dominion Post Morgantown’s Jared Ramsey pops a shot, after getting past North Marion’s Ben Reese.

NORTH MARION (5-8) Richardson 4 0-1 10, Daniel 3 2-4 8, Russell 5 4-6 16, Thorne 0 0-0 0, Earl 0 0-0 0, Hockenberry 1 1-1 3, Myers 3 1-2 7. Totals 16 8-14 44.

 MORGANTOWN (12-3)
    Karraker 3 2-2 11, Lewis 2 1-2 5, Lindsay 3 3-3 9, Ramsey 2 1-3 6, Hatfield 3 0-0 7, Fletcher 0 0-0 0, Pearson 1 3-4 5, Taylor 1 1-4 3. Totals 15 11-18 46.
North Marion 8 10 18 8 — 44 Morgantown 10 13 16 7 — 46
    3-point goals—Morgantown 4 (Karraker 3, Hatfield 1), North Marion 4 (Russell 2, Richardson 2). Rebounds—Morgantown 27 (Hatfield 8), North Marion 17 (Richardson, Daniel 3). JV—Morgantown 72 (Dunn 14), North Marion 41 (Smith 14).