MORGANTOWN – The Trinity Christian boys basketball team managed to score above their scoring average for the season on Monday night as it hosted Tucker County high on the hill in Sabraton.
But the top-ranked team in Class A showed exactly why they’re the team to beat as the Mountain Lions (9-2) earned an impressive all-around win 91-60 over the Warriors (8-4).
The visitors shot 41 for 63 (65%) from the field as a team in the game, with five players scoring in double-figures. Guard Trevan Bonner led all scorers in the contest with 26 points including four of his team’s seven triples. His teammate Garrett Wilfong added 24 points off of the bench on a perfect 11 for 11 shooting effort that came with multiple thunderous dunks.
The Warriors were led by Chayce Adams who scored 25 points on 9 of 18 shots and four threes, and Carter Hartsock who finished with 20.
“When your hand is down on defense they get a lot of open shots,” Trinity coach Codey Horton said. “We talked a lot about runs and had them within reach but we started forcing some things to start the fourth and they got too many unanswered baskets.”
The Warriors held a 10-9 lead early in the first but Tucker County went on a 15-4 over the final half of the frame to take a 24-14 lead and set the tone for the final three quarters.
Another 24-point quarter extended the lead to 17 points by halftime, 48-31 behind a 21 for 35 shooting effort.
Trinity trailed by 20, 62-42 with 2:30 left to play in the third quarter as the two teams continually traded buckets. They managed to get as close as 15, 64-49, with a 90-second scoring run, but Wilfong stepped up again for Tucker County and hit a triple at the buzzer to end the third and give his team an 18-point lead going into the final quarter.
“We were right there with them in the third but they brought the energy and athleticism and we couldn’t overcome it,” Horton said. “This was their first game in nine days and I know they were excited to play and they showed that. We scouted and had a gameplan coming in but they used their energy and athleticism to roll right over it.”
The Warriors scored a game-low 11 points in the final quarter while the Mountain Lions managed their third 24-point frame of the contest.
Trinity will hit the road for its next contest against Class A No. 4 Webster County on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
BOX SCORE
Tucker County 91, Trinity Christian 60
Tucker County 24 24 19 24 – 91
Trinity Christian 14 17 18 11 – 60
STATS
Tucker County – Bonner 11 0-0 26 Wilfong 11 1-1 24 Rosenou 6 0-0 14 Lycliter 5 1-3 11 Knotts 5 0-0 10 Robosen 1 0-0 2 Kisamore 1 0-0 2 Dearborn 1 0-0 2
Trinity Christian – Adams 9 3-4 25 Hartsock 7 6-8 20 Hopkins 2 0-0 6 Kniska 2 0-0 5 Steptoe 1 0-0 2 Porta 0 1-2 1 Lohman 0 1-2 1
3pt goals – Tucker County 7 (Bonner 4 Rosenou 2 Wilfong 1); Trinity Christian 7 (Adams 4 Hopkins 2 Kniska 1)
TWEET – @DomPostSports
