BLACKSVILLE – There was a battle of top ten teams in Class A boys’ basketball as No. 7 Clay Battelle hosted No. 5 East Hardy in Blacksville on Tuesday night.
In a game they never trailed, the Cougars left with a 56-47 victory over the Cee-Bees.
East Hardy’s Jordan Teets scored a game-high 24 points with five three-pointers in the contest.
Clay-Battelle (7-4) was led by Preston Luzader with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Braden Ponceroff added 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists for the Cee-Bees.
“We were a little outplayed tonight, but I think our guys showed fight,” Clay-Battelle head coach Josh Kisner said. “They started fast in the first half with their shooters. We knew how good Teets could be, and boy, what a shooter he is. Whenever the other team shoots free throws, we must ensure we are rebounding the ball. I can think of at least two or three times we didn’t do that.”
As Kisner mentioned, the Cougars opened the game with the hot hand, nailing four triples in the opening eight minutes. They also found success on the offensive boards as the Cee-Bees struggled to secure defensive rebounds, allowing East Hardy second chances on multiple possessions.
Despite the visitors’ positive offensive start, the Cee-Bees finished the quarter strong and trailed by only one possession, 17-15, entering the second.
The second quarter welcomed a slower pace to the contest offensively for both clubs. Only one field goal was scored in the opening three minutes of the frame.
The Cougars again threatened to extend their lead as they took a 26-20 advantage just before halftime, but the Cee-Bees responded with a quick run to end the quarter and trailed 26-24 heading into the break.
East Hardy got off to another strong start at the beginning of the second half, but just as they’d done all night, the Cee-Bees kept the deficit minimal. Luzader cut the lead to one, capping a 5-0 run with his second three of the night.
Despite coming within one possession of the Cougars nearly the entire game, the Cee-Bees couldn’t pair defensive stops with baskets on offense at the correct times.
Teets hit his fourth three-pointer of the contest late in the frame, and East Hardy used the spark to swell the lead to seven heading into the final frame, 45-38.
The Cee-Bees came within four points in the fourth quarter, 49-45, but the Cougars were efficient at the free throw line down the stretch and maintained the gap through the final stanza to head back to Hardy County with a road victory.
Clay-Battelle will travel to Valley (Wetzel) on Friday evening.
BOX SCORE
East Hardy 56, Clay-Battelle 47
EH 17 9 19 11 – 56
C-B 15 9 14 9 – 47
East Hardy – Teets 7 5-6 24 Hamilton 1 5-12 7 McCullough 3 0-0 8 Price 1 3-3 5 Good 5 2-2 12
Clay-Battelle – Luzader 9 3-4 23 Morgan 2 0-0 4 Ponceroff 6 0-0 12 Payton 3 0-0 7
3pt goals made – East Hardy 7 (Teets 5 McCollough 2); Clay-Battelle 3 (Luzader 2 Payton 1)
