MHS runs past Huskies
Mohigans’ height and speed too much for North Marion
BY JEREMY CURTIS For The Dominion Post

Tyler Anderson, Cody Petitte and Sam Runner led the way for the Morgantown High boys’ basketball team in a 64-41 home win over North Marion, on Monday night.
The trio of Mohigans combined to score 35 of MHS’s 64 points against the Huskies.
“It was nice to see our kids come in and have a little bit of an edge and attack,” MHS coach Tom Yester said.
Anderson scored 13 points for the Mohigans, two of which came from a crowd-pleasing alleyoop slam dunk off of an inbounds play late in the first quarter. Anderson said MHS setup a back screen, creating a clear path to the basket for him. “I didn’t think I was going to get it at first,” he said. “I realized once I caught the ball, I was up high enough, so I just put it in.”
Anderson, a senior, was a perfect six-of-six from the free throw line, and he also had one 3-pointer.
MHS (3-1 overall, 2-0 NCAC) jumped out to a 19-2 lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back.
The Mohigans used a tough man-to-man defense early on, which forced the Huskies (3-4, 1-2) to take difficult shots.
“We did a pretty good job,” Yester said. “[We] forced them into a bad shooting percentage [and] got a few steals, blocked a few shots and ran the floor pretty effectively.”
MHS had a size advantage with Runner, a 6-foot-7 junior, who had 11 points and four blocks. “My height really helped me out tonight,” Runner said.
Runner’s rebounding ability helped trigger MHS’s fastbreak opportunities, where the Mohigans finished a lot of transition points.
“You get a quick rebound and kick it out on the outlet pass or get a good block and kick it out to the guards so they can push it down the floor,” Runner said.
“We’re more like a transition team. We get the ball, we’re going to go,” Anderson said.
    Petitte scored 11 points for the Mohigans. Anderson, Petitte and Runner each had six rebounds.
    Daniel DeVaul scored a gamehigh 21 points for the Huskies. He made five 3-point baskets, three of which came in the fourth quarter.
    “I wasn’t very happy with the fourth quarter, but that happens a lot of times when you’re up big,” Yester said. “That young man shoots a bunch of threes.”
    The Mohigans had a 34-13 lead by halftime.
    North Marion’s Ryan Moore scored the first basket of the second half, but MHS quickly answered with a 10-0 run to extend its lead.
    Anderson and Jordan Barnett each hit 3-pointers during the run, quickly extinguishing any hopes of an unexpected comeback by the Huskies. Michael Caridi punctuated an offensive showcase by MHS with a two-handed slam dunk, with less than a minute to go in the third quarter. The dunk put the Mohigans up 48-17. Yester also complimented Arius Jackson, who added seven assists for Morgantown. “That’s a very good night,” Yester said.
MORGANTOWN (3-1, 2-0) Simmons 2 0-0 4, Meador 1 0-0 2, Barnett 2 0-0 5, Caridi 3 0-2 6, Petitte 5 0-1 11, Wilson 1 2-2 4, Parsons 2 0-0 4, Runner 5 1-3 11, Anderson 3 6-6 13, Price 2 0-0 4. Totals 26 9-14 64. NORTH MARION (3-4, 1-2) Morgan 1 0-2 2, Hnoun 2 1-1 5, Cochran 2 0-0 4, Osborne 1 1-1 3, Moore 2 0-0 4, DeVaul 7 2-2, 21, Cain 0 2-2 2. Totals 15 6-8 41. Morgantown 19 15 14 16 — 64 North Marion 2 11 7 21 — 41 3-pointers: Morgantown 3 (Anderson, Barnett, Petitte). North Marion 5 (DeVaul 5).

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post Arius Jackson (23) passes the ball around North Marion’s Quint Cochran during Monday’s basketball game at MHS.