Hewitt breaks out big-time with 27 points
UHS coach says junior was due

BY ERIC HERTER The Dominion Post
When it comes to University High boys basketball, everyone knows Jedd Gyorko, Ryan Nehlen and Grant Meadows. They are the stars of one of the top Class AAA teams in the state. But, Ben Hewitt? Who is this guy? On Thursday night, the junior swingman slashed his way through the Morgantown defense on his way to a career-high 27 points in a 86-74 win over the cross-town rivals.
“We knew about Hewitt, but this is the best I’ve seen him play,” MHS head coach Tom Yester said. “Obviously they have Gyorko and Nehlen but when they get the three-headed monster going, it’s pretty tough to stop them.”
On Thursday night, Hewitt was the most vicious of that three-headed monster as he consistently beat the MHS players down the court for easy buckets.
If he wasn’t doing that, he was grabbing a rebound and putting the ball back up for a bucket and then if that wasn’t working he would step behind the 3-point line for a shot from downtown.
“I loved the emotion that we had tonight from the crowd and I think it really helped me,” Hewitt said. “I just wanted to play as well as I could for them.”
The break out game might have been a surprise to outsiders but for UHS head coach Bruce Clinton, it certainly wasn’t.
“I said before the game that I thought Ben was due for a big game,” Clinton said.
“People don’t see how hard he works in practice and how much effort he puts in.
“Tonight, he was rewarded for all of that effort. He’s a very athletic player and he really caused a lot of problems for them.”
Hewitt, who previously recorded his career high with 16 points earlier this season, began his evening with five points in each of the first two quarters before he started to pour it on in the second half.
He scored eight points in the third quarter as the MHS defense couldn’t quite catch up and then added nine more points in the fourth quarter mostly on drives to the basket through a tired Mohigan defense.
“The last time we played them I saw that they get tired as the game goes and I thought I could take advantage of that,” Hewitt said.
On Thursday, it looked like was playing in fast forward while the Mohigans were on pause in the second half.
“Coach Clinton keeps us in great shape for games just like this one,” Hewitt said. “I thought that really paid off tonight.”
And there was no one happier for Hewitt than Gyorko, who watched his teammate finally break through.
“We all know what he is capable of,” Gyorko said.
“Tonight, he finally showed what he can do. I think we are pretty tough to beat if everyone is playing at their best.”