Led by Baron Leitch’s game-high 21 points, the Alleghany Mountaineers (9-3), who were playing their second road game in back to back days, defeated the Page County Panthers by the final score, 65-46.
The game was played in Lexington at the Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout.
Along with Leitch’s performance, Chris Harden scored nine points, while Dylan Gibson added eight.
The Panthers were led by Dylan Hensley, who scored a team-high 18 points.
The Mountaineers led 27-24 at halftime before their defense held the Panthers to just four points in the third quarter.
The Mountaineers are scheduled to host James River this evening, weather permitting.
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ttl
AHS 15 12 18 20 65
PCHS 11 13 4 18 46
Mountaineers Scoring – Via 2, Leitch 18, Entsminger 4, Gibson 8, Warren 2, Middleton 5, Harden 9, Hayslett 2, Moore 6, Nicely 2, Lowman 4
Panthers Scoring – Good 3, Gochener 1, P Campbell 1, Hensley 18, Williams 3, Knighton 16, Morte 2, Plum 2
————————
The day prior to their victory over the Panthers on Saturday, just less than 24 hours earlier, the Mountaineers had their best game of the season as the team rallied from double-digits down in first half to defeat the Carroll County Cavaliers (5-7) by the final score of 62-59 on Friday night.
Thanks to clutch free throw shooting from Leitch, the Mountaineers picked up a huge road victory. Down the stretch of the game, Leitch knocked down 7-of-8 free throw attempts.
On Wednesday, the Mountaineers overcame a 17-point first half deficit against the Glenvar Highlanders before they ultimately grew another double digit lead of 17 points in route to a victory over the Mountaineers.
This time around on Friday night, the Mountaineers were not going to let the Cavaliers do what the Highlanders did.
The first half of the Mountaineers-Cavs game, it was game all about scoring runs, similar to the Highlanders game.
With a 10-4 lead, the Cavs, with the ball had a fast break and had a chance to increase their lead, and had a wide open layup, but Leitch, stepped in between the ballhandler and drew the offensive foul.
The offensive foul on the Cavs led to nine unanswered points by the Mountaineers who took a 13-10 lead. The Cavs closed the quarter scoring five unanswered points to take a 15-13 first quarter lead.
In the second quarter, with the Cavs leading 19-18, the team went on 9-0 scoring run to take their biggest lead of the game at 28-18. Mountaineers head coach, Nolan Caldwell took a timeout to stop the momentum for the Cavs.
The timeout proved to be a timely timeout as the Mountaineers would go on a 9-0 scoring run of their own to cut the lead to one point at 28-27.
By halftime, the Mountaineers trailed 35-30.
The second half would cause fireworks.
In the first few minutes of the third quarter, Halen Lowman, knocked down one of his three three-pointers to tie the game at 35-35.
Just a few minutes later, after back to back Cavs three-pointers, the team found themselves up 43-35. Anthony Webb, then knocked back to back three-pointers to cut the lead down to two points at 43-41.
The Cavs lead 45-41 after three quarters.
The Mountaineers saved their best quarter for last. The team opened the first three minutes by going on an 8-0 scoring run to take their largest lead at 49-45.
The Mountaineers never looked back after taking their first lead since it was 4-3 in the first quarter.
After back and forth scores the rest of the way between the two teams, Mountaineers led 56-54 with under a minute remaining.
In the final minute, Leitch knocked down four of five free throw attempts to give the team a 62-59 lead with six second left.
The Cavs inbounded the ball and as the get the ball across the half court line, Lietch stepped in and threw off the Cavs ballhandler, who then missed his three-point attempt that didn’t come close to the rim. Credit also, Davien Moore, who stepped in front of the shooter after Leitch got him off-balance and forced the difficult three-point attempt.
In the win, Leitch, scored a team-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and one assist.
Garrett Via, added in a season-high 10 points to go along with a season and game-high of eight rebounds. Lowman, also dropped 10 points in the win for the Mountaineers.
David Reitzel, led the Cavs with 17 points.
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Ttl
AHS 15 17 11 21 62
CCHS 15 20 10 14 59
Mountaineers Statistics
Player Pts Reb Ast Stl
Via 10 8 1 1
Leitch 18 5 1 –
Harden 3 2 2 –
Gibson 8 1 2 2
Lowman 10 3 1 –
Moore 1 1 2 1
Hayslett – 1 – –
Caldwell – 1 2 –
Middleton 3 – – –
Webb 9 2 1 2
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.