Waynesburg rallies for thrilling win over Beth-Center
WAYNESBURG – Loud cheers resonated from the Waynesburg Central High School gymnasium Friday night when Beth-Center sophomore E.J. McCarty hit a three-point shot at the buzzer to end the boy’s basketball game between the Bulldogs and Red Raiders. However, the cheers weren’t coming from the Bulldogs’ side of the bleachers. They came from the Waynesburg Central fans.
Despite McCarty’s buzzer beater, the Bulldogs fell one point short with Waynesburg Central earning a 63-62 come-from-behind victory.
Trailing 30-24 at halftime, the Red Raiders came out of the locker room ready to make a change in the momentum in the game. They proved that in the first five seconds of the second half when senior guard Wil Pena hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to three.
The heart was shown as the Raiders continued that momentum, outscoring Beth-Center 20-10 in the third quarter. Pena contributed three field goals two free throws in the quarter. He finished with 17 points.
“Winning this game wasn’t about X’s and O’s,” said Waynesburg Central coach Aaron Ankrom. “It was about what was inside the hearts of these guys. We played two different halves tonight.”
Also leading the Red Raiders in scoring was fellow senior Kenny Blackwell with 17 points. The 6-4 forward used his height and second-chance efforts to lead his team, especially late in the game. Thirteen of Blackwell’s 17 points came in the second half.
Junior guard Sean Fancher also contributed significantly with 15 points.
“It’s pretty much our coach’s motivation that got us going in the second half,” said Blackwell. “We came out rather slow in the beginning, so we knew we had to be more focused to win.”
Although Waynesburg Central had the momentum and motivation it needed, the Bulldogs did not sit quietly. Although down 44-40 at the start of the final quarter, they stayed within reach until the final seconds.
Beth-Center sophomore Ryan Niemiec produced throughout the entire game, finishing with 20 points, including a few clutch shots in the fourth quarter.
Senior Jeff Bodnar had 10 points.
The Red Raiders improved their Section 5-AA record to 2-5 and 5-11 overall, while Beth-Center dropped 0-7 in section play and 4-11 overall.
“It’s nice to have this win going into a week where we have the entire week off,” said Ankrom.
“This motivates us a lot and the fan support at home has been great this year, said Blackwell. “We just have to do what we can to keep this going.”