Raiders pull out 87-85 victory over Frazier
WAYNESBURG — With both offenses clicking in the Section 4-AA contest, the game came down to the final minute as the Waynesburg Central boys basketball team scored four of the final six points to pull out a dramatic 87-85 victory over Frazier Tuesday night.
It was a critical game for both squads, as both were under .500 in Section 4-AA.
“This was a huge game for us and this was a section game we had to win,” Waynesburg coach Kirk King said. “If we lost this one, it would put us in a hole. I wouldn’t say it was a must-win because we have a lot of character in that locker room. The kids knew the importance of this game and our role players stepped up big tonight.”
The Raiders (4-6, 2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with the triumph and was led by an aggressive pace in this high-scoring affair.
Mitch Warman totaled a game-high 33 points, while Darton McIntire added 25 for Waynesburg. The Raiders also got contributions from Blake Brewer (10) and Ron Howard (nine).
Mark Dillon scored 29 points for the Commodores (6-5, 1-3). Caleb Cox collected 26 points, while Josh Cox and Bradley Poling chipped in with 10 and eight, respectively.
“Both teams were able to score at will and it came down to the final minutes,” Frazier coach Ed Keebler said. “We usually average in the mid-60s, so we had a really good night on offense. Defensively, we didn’t have an answer. They drove in the paint and had their way on the inside. We just didn’t have an answer for their big scorers.”
With the game tied 66-66 heading into the fourth quarter, Waynesburg grabbed the early momentum in the period with a 9-4 run, but Frazier responded with an 8-4 run to cut the deficit to 79-78 with three minutes left in regulation.
After four points by the Raiders, the Commodores knotted the game up at 83-83 with a trey from Caleb Cox and an inside hoop by Dillon.
The teams traded emptied possessions the next two times down the court and McIntire gave Waynesburg an 85-83 lead after an inside bucket with 30 seconds remaining.
After Dillon tied the game up with another inside basket for Frazier, Waynesburg’s McIntire scored the deciding points with two free throws with four seconds left,
“I didn’t want us to hold the ball and kill the clock,” King said of the final two possessions of the game for Waynesburg. “We wanted to be aggressive and get to the paint. I didn’t want to us worry about the time and hold the ball too long. Everyone played well and we won this game as a team.”
It was a back-and-forth opening quarter, as the Raiders jumped out to a 7-2 lead and withstood a run by the Commodores for a 31-25 lead at the end of one. Warman registered 15 points in the first frame.
Waynesburg held an 18-16 scoring edge in the second stanza and took a 49-41 lead into intermission.
“It was a total team effort on offense,” King said. “We moved the ball well and we were slashing to the hoop. Sometimes kids at this level settle for the outside shot and are not aggressive driving to the rim. We emphasize that in practice and our post play was on.”
In the third quarter, Frazier went on an 8-2 run to get back into the game. The teams traded points and runs, which set up a tie ball game and a thrilling fourth quarter.
“Our inside game carried us tonight,” Keebler said. “Mark Dillon is a strong post player and we were feeding him the ball. We made some outside shots in the first half and that got their defense attention. This is hard one to lose with the way our offense played.”