The Shadow
Two wins in five days over your backyard rival?
Alleghany coach Nolan Caldwell will certainly take it.
Freshman Jayson Easton paced a balanced Alleghany attack with 19 points Monday evening, propelling the Mountaineers to a 62-50 win over Covington in the Cougar Den.
Alleghany’s regular season sweep of the Cougars followed their 69-40 decision last Wednesday at Mountaineer Gym.
“I’m very happy to get a win in this building,”?said Caldwell, whose Mountaineers improved to 2-1 on the season. “I?knew they would be much tougher than they were last week.”
Christian Allen added 12 points for the Mountaineers, while Chris Tingler scored 10. Triston Hensley just missed double figures with nine points.
Tijon Rice scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Cougars, while Jaun Miller added 10.
“I?thought defensively we came out and did what we wanted to do,”?Covington coach Keith Moore said. “I?think our offense is still lagging behind where we want to be. Hopefully, the guys will start hitting those shots when we get the opportunity.”
The Mountaineers extended a 14-8 lead after one to 13 in the second quarter. Easton and Allen buried back-to-back triples to give the Mountaineers a 25-12 lead, but the Cougars cut their deficit back to single digits by the half.
Miller started a five-point Cougar run in the final minute of the first half with a pair of free throws, while Gunner Givens scored on the inside to cut the Alleghany lead to 25-16.
A single Miller free throw with three ticks left on the first half clock whittled the Mountaineer lead to 25-17 at the half.
The Mountaineers maintained a double-digit working margin throughout much of the third quarter.
After a Rice three cut the Alleghany lead to 38-28, the Mountaineers scored five straight to run the lead to 15.
Allen drove baseline and scored, while a little later, Tavi Wright converted the first of two free throws. Chase Nicely grabbed the offensive board after Wright missed the second foul shot and scored, extending the Alleghany lead to 43-28.
Again, the Cougars countered. Ahmir Smith drilled a 3-ball, and Miller scored after a steal, cutting the Alleghany lead to 43-33 at the end of three.
The Cougars got it as close as eight on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter, but each time the Mountaineers had an answer.
A?Tingler basket late in the action again gave the Mountaineers a 15-point cushion, 58-43.
“I?thought we were a little sloppy at times offensively, but early in the season, we got to see a little adversity, and I thought we kept battling,”?Caldwell said. “Covington closed it to seven or eight a couple of times, but we were able to get good looks and extend that lead back.”
After winning their opener last week, the Cougars have now dropped three straight and fell to 1-3 on the young season.
“I?think it’s the small, fundamental stuff,”?Moore concluded. “We’re still working on getting the right people in at the right time and just getting a feel for everybody.”
The Cougars are back in action this evening when they host James Monroe. Meantime, the Mountaineers now begin preparation for their tournament and a date with James Monroe in Friday’s nightcap. In the opener, the Cougars tangle with Christiansburg.
The Cougars gained a split in Monday’s festivities with a 58-52 win in the jayvee opener.
Javier Yancey led the Cougars with 16 points, while Skyler Barnett added 11. Logan Jefferson and Keshawn Hughes counted eight apiece, while Sammy Akers scored seven.
Hunter Smith and Cory Whitaker added three each, while Ladarron Butler scored two.
For the Mountaineers, Andrew Middleton had 15 points, while Dylan Gibson added 13. Dalton Ouimette had seven points, while Cameron Marshall scored six and Matthew Warren contributed five.
Antwaun Broadnax, Baron Leitch and Alexandre Taylor rounded out the Alleghany scoring with two apiece.
