MORGANTOWN — Heading into Wednesday night’s Class AAAA Region I co-final, the No. 1 Morgantown boys’ basketball team could be forgiven if they carried a gym full of confidence into their match-up with Buckhannon-Upshur. The Mohigans have lost just two games all year, while the Buccaneers sported a less-than-impressive 7-17 mark.
However, all you have to do is look across town and think back a week ago to BU’s massive sectional semifinal overtime upset of University, 60-55, to remember just what can happen in the postseason.
After all, that’s why they actually play the games, right?
But sometimes, you can expect the expected, and Wednesday, the Mohigans took all drama out of the game one early, as they stepped on the Bucs at the opening tip and never let them up, scoring the first 17 points of the game. MHS led 24-3 after one, 50-9 at the half, and then cruised to a stifling, overwhelming, 89-26 regional victory, punching their ticket to Charleston with a chance to repeat as Class AAAA state champions.
Dominant in all parts of the game, Morgantown (23-2) utilized its patented pressure defense to force five consecutive turnovers to start the game. Seniors Brady Davis and Cam Danser did most of the offensive damage in the first quarter, as Brady scored 10 and Danser nine in the first quarter alone. Exchanging the starters for the second five off the bench had little drop-off for MHS, as eight different Mohigans scored in the second quarter to put the game away very early against the overmatched Bucs (7-18) to the tune of a 41-point lead, 50-9, at the break.
The starters began the second half and played as a unit just long enough to get all-state candidate Sharron Young (who scored a smooth 12 points in the win) a chance to shake the rest of the rust off following his recent arm injury that has kept him out of action the last few weeks.
“I was very happy to see Sharron back on the court for us,” MHS coach Dave Tallman said. “He’s the best in the state, he’s healthy and cleared to play, he’s been chomping at the bit to get out there, and we’ll need him in Charleston, so it was good for him and us to get him in the flow. He was great tonight.”
Perhaps the best moment of the night came as the clock was winding down, and the student section started chanting, “We want the Seniors! We want the Seniors!” So, with 37 seconds left, Tallman gave the people what they wanted, sending Danser (who led all scorers with 21), Davis, Koma Neal, Carter Murray, and Garrison Kisner back out on the floor one last time, to savor one last home court victory. MHS has now won 35 straight at home – and that senior class finished their careers never having tasted a single defeat in their own gym.
“I wasn’t especially happy with our defense down the stretch of the season, so we worked especially hard on it in practice,” Tallman said. “When we’re right, our pressure gives teams fits, because of our team defense, with excellent help and communication. That was the best part of our game tonight.
“We’ve now won 42 in a row against West Virginia opponents,” Tallman continued with obvious and justified pride, “and this entire group – from our coaching staff to our players, all fine young men – have been just a great group to come to work with every day. We’re excited for the chance to go back to Charleston, and hopefully, we can play our game, get some breaks, and win three (games) straight.”
Morgantown will defend its 2022 Class AAAA title at the Charleston Coliseum next week as the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Mohigans will play a regional opponent, No. 8 Bridgeport, in the first round Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
BY MARK SCHRAF
Morgantown 89, Buckhannon-Upshur 26
BU 3 6 10 7 – 26
MHS 24 26 24 15 – 89
BUCKHANNON-UPSHUR (7-18) — Bryson Johnston 1 0-0 2 Malaki Williams 2 1-2 5 Carter Zuliana 4 1-3 9 Jevon Westfall 0 0-2 0 Jerin Westfall 1 0-0 3 Jaden Westfall 2 1-2 5 Ian Strader 1 0-0 2 Totals 11 3-9 26
MORGANTOWN (23-2) — Garrison Kisner 3 0-0 6 Koma Neal 2 1-1 6 Cam Danser 9 0-0 21 Izzy Everett 1 0-0 3 Jacob King 1 1-2 3 Sharron Young 6 0-0 12 Jonathon Shrewsberry 4 0-0 11 Alex Himes 1 0-0 2 Carter Murray 2 0-0 4 Marty Johnson 2 0-0 4 Brady Davis 4 2-2 12 Brady Savage 1 0-0 3 Jaylon Hill 1 0-0 2 Totals 37 4-5 89
Three-pointers – BU 1 (Jerin Westfall), MHS 11 (Davis 2, Danser 3, Everett, Savage, Neal, Shrewsberry 3)
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