Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Riverhawks Fall in Final Seconds


Even though the Marietta Pioneers JV team won the game against the Riverhawks on Jan. 10, the Riverhawks made the Pioneers play a more challenging game from their last match up. On Dec. 4, the Pioneers topped the Riverhawks beating them 105-65 in Marietta. However, at the Jan. 10 game the Riverhawks only lost the game by four points at a home gameplayed at Parkersburg High School. The final score was 78-74.

The Pioneers are now 14-1 (NCAA Division III) after their win against the Riverhawks (Club Sport Program). The Riverhawks are now 6-6. “It feels more like a victory than a loss because we worked together as a team and we made Marietta play harder this time,” #34 Mitchell Parsons said.

Due to injury, usual Riverhawk starter #45 Cameron Lancaster, was unable to tip off the ball. Number 23 Rodney Shawver had to take over the roll. Shawver lost the jump ball and Marietta scored the first two points of the game. But the Riverhawks didn’t let the Pioneers stay in the lead for long. Number 40 Alex Tracewell made a three pointer, making the Riverhawks take the lead.

The Riverhawks kept their lead, by as much as 9 points at the half, until right after Lancaster fouled out with the Riverhawks leading by two at the 5:26 mark in the second half. Number 32, Jason Humphrey, from Marietta tied the game 69-69. The Pioneers then took the lead 71-69 and called a timeout right after the leading scorer for Parkersburg #31 Keith Penn fouled out of the game with only 3:00 min. left. “I was upset, but it was a good call,” Penn said.

With only 33.3 seconds on the clock Shawver fouled Humphrey in hopes that he would miss his foul shots. But the Pioneer made both shots, creating a two possession lead.

The last shot made by the Riverhawks was #21 Anthony Caplinger’s 3-pointer with 23.8 seconds left. Caplinger’s shot made the Riverhawks only trail by three points but Humphrey made one more foul shot, sealing the final score at 78-74. “The team gave everything they had. It was just that a couple of breaks went the other way,” Assistant Coach Anthony Bentonte said.
The Riverhawk’s next game is against Hocking Technical College on Jan. 13 at the Elite Sports Center.

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