Playing in their third straight overtime (OT) game, the Alleghany Mountaineers (6-7, 0-5) lost for the third straight time in OT following a heartbreaking 75-72 loss to the Carroll County Cavaliers (10-3, 2-2) on Thursday at Mountaineer Arena.
Trailing by two points with just over seven seconds remaining, Bryce Smoot drew a foul and with the Cavaliers in the bonus, Smoot would knock down both free throws to send the game into OT.
In OT, the Cavaliers went on a 10-4 scoring run and built a 70-64 lead behind Elijah Cox who scored 10 points in the extra period.
With under 30 seconds left, Anthony Webb knocked down a big three-pointer which cut the game to one score at 70-67.
On the ensuing offensive possession, the Mountaineers were unable to get a stop and fouled Cox who built the Cavaliers lead back up to five points at 72-67.
Davien Moore would drive to the hoop for the Mountaineers and would draw the foul. Moore would knock down the pair of free throws to cut the lead back down to three points again.
The Mountaineers fouled Cox once again, who would miss the first free throw, but knocked in the second to give the team a 73-69 lead.
Trailing by four points now with time not on their side, Moore once again drove to the basket, but kicked the ball out to an open Eli Entsminger who knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead down to just one point at 73-72.
The Cavaliers on the in bounds play were able to get the ball in to Cox who knocked down both free throws to give the team a three point lead.
With 4.3 seconds remaining, the Mountaineers who were down by six points with under 30 seconds left had a chance to tie the game.
Following Cox’s second made free throw, the Mountaineers in bounded the ball to Xzavier Hayslett who drove down the court and was just off the mark of a game-tying three-pointer as time expired.
Despite the loss, Kole Caldwell scored a season-high 17 points to lead the way in scoring for the Mountaineers, including draining four three-pointers, while also having several big defensive stops that led to forced turnovers.
Caldwell was one of four Mountaineers in double figures, Moore scored 12, while Hayslett had 11, and Chris Harden added 10.
Leading the way in scoring was Cox who recorded a double-double including game-high 29 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds. Meanwhile, Davis Reitzel scored 14 for the Cavaliers.
This was the second victory for the Cavaliers over the Mountaineers in OT. The Cavaliers beat the Mountaineers in OT at the Chance Harman Classic 57-54 the Friday prior on January 6th.
The loss was the Mountaineers fifth in a row following a 6-2 start. The team is now 0-5 in the Three Rivers District.
The Mountaineers hosts James River this evening at 7:00 p.m. at Mountaineer Arena.
Team 1 2 3 4 OT Ttl
CCHS 16 18 16 10 15 75
AHS 16 13 19 12 12 72
Cavaliers Scoring: Cox 29, Reitzel 14, Smoot 7, Redd 9, Richardson 8, Talley 8
Mountaineers Scoring: Caldwell 17, Moore 12, Hayslett 11, Harden 10, Cole 6, Entsminger 5, Lowman 4, Webb 3, C. DePriest 2, H. DePriest 2
