MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A quick glance at the box score for the Morgantown High boys’ basketball team following Tuesday’s showdown with University proves one thing for sure: The Mohigans can go to just about anyone on the floor to score.
In the first quarter alone, all seven players who checked in for MHS scored a bucket. By the end of the Mohigans’ 76-65 win over their crosstown rivals, four players scored in double figures.
But only one scored over 20 – senior Alec Poland – coming off another big game where he scored 25 against Buckhannon-Upshur last week.
“We’ve got four guys who shoot over 40% from 3, so one of them is going to catch fire,” MHS head coach Dave Tallman said. “I thought Alec Poland did, and then Brooks Gage did, too. We’ve got an experienced team, and honestly, if we can get stops and hold them to one shot, I think our offense is going to take care of itself.
Poland made five of Morgantown’s 10 3-pointers, while junior Brooks Gage (3) and freshman Sha-Ron Young (2) rounded out the scoring from the perimeter.
Tallman also credited point guard Xavier Pryor for facilitating the offense, finishing with 12 assists. Before Tuesday, Pryor’s assist-to-turnover ratio was 42-8, which Tallman said he’s “never seen that before.”
The key for the Mohigans (6-1) moving forward is improving on the defensive end.
“Our guys just have to keep people in front,” Tallman said.”We’re getting beat off the ball too easily. In practice, we’re just going to have to do defense the whole time. If we can become a good defensive time, we’re going to be hard to beat.”
Carson Poffenberger (16), Gage (14) and Young (12) were the other Mohigans to score in double figures.
On the other side, the Hawks got off to a slow start in the first quarter, trailing 16-7 at the end of the first eight minutes. After, though, they settled down and got in the rhythm in the second quarter, pulling within 3 points at halftime.
UHS (5-1) tied the game at 47-47 midway through the third quarter, but MHS pulled away with its torrid perimeter shooting.
“I don’t think we ran one set or did anything we were supposed to do in the first quarter,” UHS head coach Joe Schmidle said. “Nerves probably got the best of us there, but once we settled down, the kids played a pretty decent ballgame. Kids played hard and we controlled the boards pretty well.”
Guard play was a concern coming into the year, but point guard TT Brooks has settled into the starting role through the first six games, and Schmidle thought he played well, finishing with 15 points and limited turnovers.
Elijah Jackson came off the bench and knocked down two 3-pointers at the other guard spot.
“TT has accepted that leadership role as our point guard and he really stepped up tonight, showing us a lot of good things,” Schmidle said.
Blake Barkley led all scorers with 23 points, and Ryan Niceler also scored in double figures with 10.
MHS will get a rematch against Class AAA No. 1 Robert C. Byrd at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Eagles beat the Mohigans 69-56 on March 13 for MHS’s only loss.
The Hawks will host Preston at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
UNIVERSITY (5-1)
Brooks 6 3-4 15; Barkley 9 5-6 23; Niceler 4 2-2 10; Kisner 3 1-2 8; Forbes 2 0-0 4; Hammack 0 0-2 0; Jackson 2 0-0 6. Totals: 26 10-14 65.
MORGANTOWN (6-1)
Pryor 2 2-5 6; Poland 8 0-0 21; Poffenberger 5 6-6 16; Bechtel 2 0-0 4; Gage 5 1-3 14; Young 5 0-0 12; Rice 1 0-0 2; Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28 9-14 76.
UHS 7 24 18 16 – 65
MHS 16 18 24 18 – 76
3-pointers: UHS 3 (Jackson 2, Kisner); MHS 10 (Poland 5, Gage 3, Young 2).
TWEET @SeanManning_1
Morgantown’s Carson Poffenberger jumps to block a pass by University’s Aaron Forbes. MHS VS UHS 3-23-21 GH 
University’s Ryan Niceler passes the ball. MHS VS UHS 3-23-21 GH 
Morgantown’s Sha Ron Young lines up for a three point shot. MHS VS UHS 3-23-21 GH 
University’s Blake Barkley goes for a lay-up while Morgantown’s Carson Poffenberger blocks. MHS VS UHS 3-23-21 GH 
University’s Blake Barkley moves the ball forward past Morgantown’s Carson Poffenberger. MHS VS UHS 3-23-21 GH
