The West Greene boys had to play catch up for most of the night, but a fourth-quarter rally propelled to the lead and a 60-57 win over Hancock County on Saturday night.
“Hancock came in and hit us in the mouth early. I mean we trailed most of the night, but we found a way to win,” West Greene coach Allen Tolliver said. “Lately we’ve been letting one guy get going and it’s put us behind, giving up points to like that to one guy is not a good recipe. But overall I’m glad to get the win.”
Conner Campbell and Elijah Williams hit back to back short jumpers for West Greene’s first points, but a triple form the logo by Brady Swiney and a reverse layup by Isaiah Fodor had the Indians up 10-4 in the early going. Ayden Lamons hit a pair from the line and a layup from in front then he finished off the quarter with a shot at the buzzer and the score was tied at 14-14.
Fodor hit a triple from the elbow and Swiney scored the next 11 points for the Indians, giving his team a seven point lead at 28-21.
West Greene coach Allen Tolliver was given a coaches box warning by the referee and that warning seamed to spark the Buffs temporarily. Braden McCamey dropped a triple from the key, Campbell made a pair from the charity stripe and McCamey drilled a corner three for West Greene.
Fodor was also good from the corner for three and Swiney made good from inside for a layup and the Indians took a 33-28 led into the locker room at halftime.
The first two minutes of the third quarter were scoreless and the Buffs were in desperate need of a spark. They got it when Sam Wisecarver stole the ball from Fodor and raced the other way. Fodor, trying to atone for his turnover, fouled Wisecarver and in his haste made a remark that earned a technical foul. Wisecarver only hit one of the technical free throws but the comeback was on. By the end of the quarter the Buffs had closed the gap to two points at 44-42.
Campbell quickly tied the game when Lamons hit him in stride for an easy layup. McCamey was good on an old-fashioned-three-point play and a triple from the elbow to give the Buffs a 52-51 lead at the midway point of the final frame.
After the two teams swapped buckets the Buffs were down 57-56 with one minute to play when Campbell hit a layup to give West Greene the lead. An empty possession gave the ball back to the Buffs and McCamey found his way to the goal for a layup that put the buffs up three points with just under 30 seconds to play.
The Indians passed the ball around looking for a good shot when Fodor was trapped at the logo. He launched a desperation three that was good but the Hancock County coach had called timeout just before Fodor’s game-tying three. Coming out of the timeout the Indians did manage to get off a good shot but Fodor’s three from the corner was off the mark and the Buffaloes escaped with a 60-57 win.
Fodor led all scorers with 26 points while Swiney added 18. McCamey lead the Buffs with 19 points while Campbell netted 16 points and Lamons followed with 14.
GIRLS
WEST GREENE 47, HANCOCK COUNTY 28
The West Greene girls used a third-quarter run, led by a balanced attack on offense, to pull away from Hanock County on Saturday night in a 47-28 win.
Payton Norton opened the game with a corner three, Joie Shipley was good from underneath, Emily Justis scored in transition and Shipley hit another layup as the Lady Buffaloes raced out to a 9-2 lead. The Lady Indians of Hancock County scored the final four points of the quarter and the Lady Buffs were up 9-6 after one quarter.
In the second quarter the Lady Buffs increased their lead to 16-8 after Justis hit a short jumper in the lane and a bucket in transition. The Lady Indians kept things close at 16-14 but Shipley banked one in off the glass through contact with four seconds left in the first half. Her free toss was good and the Lady Buffs held a slim five-point lead at the half, 19-14.
The Lady Indians flipped the script as the third quarter got underway, scoring the first five points and tying the game at 19-19.
The Lady Buffaloes then went on a 13-1 run started by a corner three by Norton. Norton then stole the ball and went coast to coast for the layup. Justis was good with a short jumper in the lane and on the next possession she hit a free throw line jumper. Morgan Brown drove the lane for a layup and Justis put the Lady Buffs up 32-20.
Coach Betsy Shaw later said, “I didn’t say anything to them, they just know what the expeditions are.”
A free throw by Jade Combs and a bucket by Caryn Seal cut the score to 32-23. Then as time was winding down Seal attempted a three from the elbow but it was swatted into the bleachers by Shipley to preserve the nine-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Norton’s third corner three of the game stretched the lead out to 38-24, and Justis followed that with the dagger, a triple from the elbow to increase the lead to 41-24. The Lady Buffaloes went to win 47-28.
Justis finished with a game high 16 points. Shipley and Norton each had 10 points for West Geene.
Shaw said “this was a good team win and a good team effort from everybody, and we got to celebrate Morgan on senior night. She’s been here for four years, she’s a great kid and she’s going to be missed next year.”
