Petersburg Boys Basketball appeared to have the knock out punch with a 25-9 second period swing setting a 35-15 halftime advantage, but the Cougars heartbeat kept ticking with a valiant effort trying to push back with a 22-7 fourth period upper-cut only to collapse to the Vikings stronghold 53-48 in Baker last Tuesday.
“Tonight honestly we came out very hot. We were very aggressive early and it worked out very well for us. We shot the ball well and attacked well. We did a lot of good things in the first half,” Petersburg Boys Basketball coach Todd Heare remarked.
“In the second half we came out and lost our edge. We were trying to protect our lead, instead of playing like we had it. We couldn’t get going again and it gave East Hardy confidence in the second half. They started to really come after us, they pressed us and did a lot of things right. East Hardy is a very good team and definitely picked it up in the second half making it a huge game. There was good effort by both teams. I was pleased with our effort and it is always a wonderful time when we come over here to play East Hardy.”
East Hardy (6-10) won the first contest in Vikings territory at the beginning of the year, but this time Petersburg (4-14) was on fire from the perimeter and managed just enough defense to close out the game.
The first quarter was a close battle with the Vikings edging out East Hardy 10-9 as Matt VanMeter netted five points in that frame for Petersburg and the Cougars were paced by Christian Dove’s five markers.
It was a wake-up call in the second period as the Vikings unleashed the kraken (a legendary cephalopod-like sea monster of gigantic size in Scandinavian folklore) or in this case a monstrous attack from the perimeter firing five 3-pointers en route to a 25-6 run.
Petersburg’s Dalton Lough netted nine points from the 3-point territory and Matt VanMeter added six more points from the top of the key enabling the Vikings to rule the Baker seas.
East Hardy struggled to cover the perimeter and couldn’t get the ball to drop in their own net as Brayden Ritchie corralled just four points and Adam Baker pitched in one field goal for the Cougars in the second period.
“[Halftime speech] We talked about confidence and how we didn’t have any in the first half. In order to not get blown off the floor in the second half, we needed to be tougher all the way around,” East Hardy Boys Basketball coach Chris Hahn commented.
“Petersburg out-hustled us tonight. I’m not used to that, my teams are always hustlers. If we do anything well, it is that we hustled. Tonight we were in third gear and just wouldn’t kick it. Finally our effort was better in the second half, but our execution really didn’t start until late. It was five minutes to go and we finally started running what we were trying to run since the first quarter. You can’t wait that long to punch the[private] gas.”
Petersburg and the Cougars were evenly matched in the scoring department during the third period netting 11 points apiece.
East Hardy was led in the third period by Bryce Tharp’s ten points, but the Vikings had the answer.
In the last two minutes of the third period, Petersburg’s Cody Nuzum scored a jumper after a diving play for a jump ball was made by East Hardy’s Andrew Tharp and Petersburg’s Dalton Lough.
Bryce Tharp made a drive to the basket and was hammered by Nuzum slamming to the hardwood, then made one of two free throws at the 1:41 mark.
Over the next minute, the Vikings missed three shots and East Hardy hit the rim twice with rebounds by Tharp, Adam Baker and Seth Smith battling in tough terrain without fouls called.
A defensive rebound by East Hardy’s Justin Teets led to a deep pass caught by Bryce Tharp for a layup with 20 seconds left in the frame.
Petersburg’s Kahner Turner split through three defenders and threw the ball up with three seconds remaining as a foul was called and made both free throws putting the Vikings back up 46-26 entering the final stanza.
East Hardy missed the first field goal attempt of the fourth period and lost the ball out of bounds.
Petersburg hit the rim twice on the ensuing possession with rebounds by Slade Saville and East Hardy’s Adam Baker.
Bryce Tharp went to the free throw line and made one of two shots at the 7:19 mark, then Saville grabbed the rebound and lost the ball out of bounds.
East Hardy’s Christian Dove knocked down a 3-pointer off an assist from Teets cutting the Vikings deficit to 46-30 at 6:56.
A steal by Bryce Tharp didn’t convert into points as Petersburg’s Quentin Oates knocked the ball loose and out of play.
Both sides missed field goals twice with defensive boards by Turner and Smith. After a timeout, Dove made the long saving rebound by the bench.
East Hardy’s Bryce Tharp notched a putback at the 5:42 mark for a 46-32 score and another timeout was called.
Petersburg’s Charlie Moomau plowed into Bryce Tharp creating a blocking foul and made one free throw.
East Hardy’s Brayden Ritchie collected an offensive rebound and found Andrew Tharp for a 3-pointer with 5:05 remaining, 47-35.
One could feel the energy from the crowd as the noise level was rising higher with every play.
The energy was felt on the hardwood as Seth Smith swiped the ball and scored a layup for the Cougars at the 4:40 mark.
The Vikings answered with a jumper by Turner.
Moomau stole the ball, but Petersburg missed and East Hardy’s Andrew Tharp hauled in the carom.
On the ensuing series, it was kept alive on rebounds by Andrew Tharp and Ritchie with the latter resulting in a field goal with 3:32 left as the score was down to 49-39.
East Hardy’s Bryce Tharp stole the ball and the ensuing attempt hit the rim, but Dove was there for the rebound and fed Andrew Tharp, who drew the foul and added two markers from the line at 3:09, 49-41.
East Hardy’s Andrew Tharp and Seth Smith teamed up on a trap to make a steal, but a walk was called.
Ritchie quickly snatched the ball back for the Cougars after a timeout and was fouled, but couldn’t connect at the charity stripe.
A steal by Andrew Tharp resulted in his own basket with 2:15 remaining as East Hardy pulled within six points, 49-43.
Petersburg’s Slade Saville crashed to the floor injuring his arm on a foul and missed one free throw before being replaced in the game with Nuzum taking the next shot and hitting the rim before Dove collected the rebound for East Hardy.
The Cougars hit the rim and Petersburg’s Nuzum hauled in the board and passed to VanMeter, who was fouled and made both free throws for the Vikings with 1:46 to go, 51-43.
Lough made a defensive rebound, then Turner was whistled for a charge as East Hardy’s Bryce Tharp stood his ground.
Dove found an opening for a layup as the Cougars cut the deficit down to 51-45 with 1:15 on the clock.
East Hardy made a trap and fouled with hands up, then Lough missed from the line and Dove collected the carom.
Ritchie hauled in an offensive board and dished to Andrew Tharp for a jumper as the Cougars crated a 51-47 score with 1:01 left.
East Hardy’s Bryce Tharp blocked a shot, then pressure forced a Vikings timeout and Moomau was sent to charity stripe and hit the rim twice with Smith grabbing the board for the Cougars with 50 seconds to go.
VanMeter collected a defensive rebound and was tied up for a jump ball for Petersburg.
Moomau made one of two foul shots with 30 seconds remaining for the Vikings, 52-47.
East Hardy’s Bryce Tharp added one of two free throws five seconds later.
After a timeout, there was a loose ball off a deflection by Dove and Turner scooped it up as Dove tried to dive for the ball fouling Turner in the process with 22 seconds.
Turner managed to make one of two free throws for Petersburg extending the lead to 53-48.
The Cougars hit the rim from the perimeter and the tipped ball ricochet was corralled by Petersburg’s Cody Nuzum.
Bryce Tharp deflected a pass out of bounds with six seconds left, then VanMeter closed out the game dribbling as the Vikings survived 53-48 in Baker.
East Hardy’s Bryce Tharp scored a game-high 16 points, followed by Dove with 11 points and Andrew Tharp contributed nine markers.
Petersburg was led by Matt VanMeter with 15 points, followed by Dalton Lough with 11 points.[/private]