MORGANTOWN – Last Friday, the University boys basketball team faced their rivals in a WV state hardwood heavyweight bout – and were, in UHS coach Joe Schmidle’s own words, “embarrassed” by Morgantown, 77-43.
“I didn’t recognize our team that night,” he explained. “MHS had a lot to do with it, but we just didn’t show up. I gave them the weekend off, to think about it, to decide who we are as a group. To do a little soul searching, maybe.”
Fast forward to last night, as the Hawks hosted a surprisingly strong Parkersburg South team that lost by a mere two points to top ranked Spring Mills, who recently spanked the Mohigans by 17.
Whether it was productive introspection, a weekend reset, Monday’s solid practice, or a combination of all, University – especially big men Zach Demidovich and KK Lewis – turned in a gritty performance, overcoming a below average shooting night to outlast the Patriots, 58-52.
Paced by junior guard Glen Brown’s 8 points and an active defense that forced five South turnovers, the Hawks (9-2) jumped out to a 19-8 first quarter lead, and maintained that double-digit bulge through most of the second quarter, as both teams struggled to find the range from the floor. However, a late push by the Patriots (5-4) cut the advantage down to five at the break, 26-21.
Coming out of the locker room to begin the second half, with the game up for grabs, UHS power forward Lewis – with extra emphasis on the power – took control. On three straight possessions, the sophomore swept the defensive boards, set up in the paint, and finished strong at the rim, either from an entry pass or from muscling his way to the offensive glass for put backs.
Suddenly down by a dozen, South’s smooth point forward Navier Hewitt heated up, hitting three jumpers, one a triple, to keep the Patriots’ chances alive. But a turnover turned into a fast break monster jam by Lewis late in the quarter, as UHS restored their 11-point lead heading into the final frame, 41-30.
Desperate, Parkersburg South cranked up the defensive pressure and it paid off, as UHS turnovers and missed free throws were converted into points, and the resulting 12-4 Patriot run quickly whittled the lead to 45-42 midway through the fourth. But senior center Demidovich stepped up to pull down several huge defensive rebounds, helped to break the South backcourt press, got lose for a huge basket, and hit three big free throws when the Hawks needed them most. The Patriots never closed to within a one-possession game down the stretch, leading to a restorative, solid Hawks victory.
“We missed a bunch of free throws early in the fourth to kind of fuel their momentum,” said a relieved Schmidle after the game, “but Zach and KK really played well tonight. (Demidovich finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Lewis led all scorers with 17, and picked up 8 boards.) Zach stayed out of foul trouble and was really stout in the paint, plus he did a lot of little things, those smart, experienced plays that might not show up in the stats but really help you win a tough game against a tough opponent.
“And KK,” he continued with a smile. “He played tonight, especially in the third quarter, like he had something to prove. That was a redemption game for him, because he there’s no doubt he played a man’s game of basketball. He had a purpose to everything he did – strong on the box out, attacked the rim and finished strong, and hit four big free throws late. He’s capable of this every night. I’m proud of him, Zach, and the whole team. We responded exactly as I hoped we would, and I hope we continue to play this way moving forward.”
“This,” he concluded, “is how Hawks’ basketball is supposed to look like.”
In a key regional match-up, University hosts an improved Preston team this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Parkersburg South 8 13 9 22 – 52
University 19 7 15 17 – 58
PARKERSBURG SOUTH (5-4) – Mason Nutter 2 5-6 10 Navier Hewitt 4 2-2 11 Kayden Marshall 3 0-0 6 Taj Joyce 1 4-4 6 Harry Silvis 4 0-0 10 Matthew Mullen 2 0-2 4 Cam Fallon 1 2-2 5 Totals 17 13-16 52
UNIVERSITY (9-2) – Zachary Demidovich 6 3-8 16 Glen Brown 3 5-8 12 Chayce Adams 0 2-2 2 Eli Karpinski 1 0-1 2 KK Lewis 6 5-6 17 Luke Byrer 3 0-0 7 Jagger Barnes 1 0-2 2 Totals 20 15-27 58
3pt goals made – PSH 5 (Nutter, Silvis 2, Fallon), UHS 3 (Demidovich, Brown, Byrer)
