\An electrifying atmosphere and dynamic effort on the hardwood created an intense contest with the largest lead was six points in the first half for the Vikings and the Yellow Jackets let a four point edge disappear in the final minute of regulation before forcing overtime at the buzzer and Petersburg found a way to escape the Hive with a 66-64 overtime victory last Thursday.
“What a game. It was an amazing atmosphere to play high school basketball in tonight. That is what high school basketball is about. These kids got everybody’s excitement and everybody was into the game. The kids got to enjoy an amazing atmosphere,” Petersburg Boys Basketball coach Todd Heare remarked.
“When it comes down to the game, I am so proud of my guys gutting it out. We were down two guys who play a lot for us and had guys step up. I had guys do things I haven’t asked them to do and they played hard. Moorefield, I don’t know what more Coach Stutler could have asked of his players. They went out there and busted their butts too. It was a wonderful high school basketball game to be a part of. We had a defensive breakdown allowing Chase Vance to score inside the paint forcing overtime. My kids were down, but I told them we didn’t lose and they rallied up. I am so pleased with the effort they came out with tonight. I had two guys foul out in overtime and I was amazed with the intensity on the floor. Nobody deserved to lose that game, Petersburg or Moorefield.”
Free throws by Moorefield’s Coleman Mongold tied the score at 47-all with 3:21 remaining in the fourth period.
Petersburg’s Charlie Moomau collected an offensive rebound and was fouled leading to one foul shot for the Vikings lead and Trevor
Shoemaker snatched the carom for the Yellow Jackets at 3:06.
There were missed shots in both directions with rebounds by Petersburg’s Matt VanMeter and Moorefield’s Chase Vance.
Shoemaker netted a basket and drew a foul in the process, but missed the extra marker as the Yellow Jackets took a 49-48 lead with 2:18 left.
Moorefield’s Brent Moran snatched the board and was fouled within three seconds, then added one of two shots from the charity stripe.
A defensive rebound was hauled in by Shoemaker, but Petersburg’s Quentin Oates and Kahner Turner collaborated in stealing the ball only to miss the ensuing shot again with Moran collected another rebound.
The Yellow Jackets hit the rim and Moran corralled the carom before the Vikings deflected the ball out of bounds with a timeout called as 1:33 remained in regulation.
Vance cut inside for a layup with 1:18 to go as Moorefield held its largest lead at 52-48.
Moomau recorded a putback for the Vikings on the next series at 1:07.
After a timeout, Petersburg pressed and fouled Vance, who calmly sank both free throws at 1:05 for a 54-50 edge.
Nine seconds later, VanMeter knocked down a 3-pointer for Petersburg.
Petersburg’s Dalton Lough stole the ball and dished to Turner for a layup and the lead with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth period, 55-54.
A charge was assessed to Shoemaker with 18 seconds on the [prvate]clock and timeout was called.
Moran fouled out sending Lough to the free throw line making one foul shot with 17 seconds.
Vance snatched the rebound off the free throw line, then the Yellow Jackets hit the rim and Vance collected the rebound again and the next shot went awry and ricocheted off the Vikings out of bounds with three seconds left.
A timeout was called, then Vance worked to get open in the paint and knocked down layup as time expired to force overtime at 56-all and the Yellow Jackets student section went crazy.
“The student section did a great job, they filled it up and they were loud. It was nice to have. They battled and we battled. We played hard and they hit some big shots in the end. We didn’t play very good defense and we missed 13 foul shots and missed 18 layups. If we made a couple of those, it could have been a different game,” Moorefield Boys Basketball coach Scott Stutler stated.
“We played hard and they played hard, but they hit big shots and we didn’t. I was lucky to have timeouts left, because I usually use them all. Thankfully I had one left and drew up simple inbounds play and Chase got up and shot the layup to force overtime. Chase has been playing great and is always giving 100 percent diving for the ball and grabbing rebounds. He is a good kid and gives it his all on the floor. We weren’t worried about fouls, because we have players on the bench who can play. Brent Moran fouling hurt us a little bit, I would have liked to have him out there during overtime.”
Moorefield won the overtime tip-off and the initial attempt hit the rim and Moorefield’s Vance tied up with Petersburg’s Cody Nuzum leaping for the carom and came crashing to the floor with a jump ball called going to the Vikings.
Moomau was fouled and made one free throw for Petersburg at the 3:16 mark for a 57-56 lead.
Nuzum grabbed the board and scored the jumper to extend the edge three seconds later and a foul was committed in the process by the Yellow Jackets with the ensuing shot missing the mark, 59-56.
Moorefield’s Coleman Mongold hauled in the rebound, then the Yellow Jackets missed a field goal and Moomau collected the board.
Shoemaker swiped the ball and made the breakaway layup for Moorefield with 2:42 remaining in overtime cutting the deficit to 59-58 as the student section roared with approval.
The Vikings were called for an offensive foul and Moorefield’s Lane Ours missed both free throws.
Ours almost corralled the ricochet, but the ball bounced away into the hands of Petersburg’s Quentin Oates and Ours committed his fifth foul.
Oates connected on both free throws to put Petersburg up 61-58 with 2:26 left in overtime.
Moorefield’s Thomas Williams responded with a layup on the next possession at the 2:15 mark, 61-60.
Mongold grabbed a defensive rebound and passed to Shoemaker, who drew a foul and missed both free throws as Petersburg’s Jacob Hawk snatched the board at 1:47.
Coming out of a timeout, Mongold stole the ball and was hammered going to the basket before hitting the rim twice.
However, Shoemaker was in position for the rebound off the free throw miss and netted the basket to give the Yellow Jackets a 62-61 lead with 1:08 to go as the fans erupted again.
VanMeter executed an old-fashioned three-point play as the Vikings regained the lead 64-62 with 54 seconds on the clock and Petersburg’s bench was enthusiastic.
Moorefield missed a long distance shot and the ricochet deflected off the Vikings out of play.
Vance scored off the inbounds pass from Mongold tying the game at 64-all with 43 seconds left.
After a timeout, Turner’s shot hit the rim and Moomau was there to lift the ball into the hoop giving the Vikings the lead with what appeared to be 0.7 seconds remaining in overtime as the celebration commenced.
The referees converged and added time on the clock setting it to 3.6 seconds for the Yellow Jackets last opportunity as Petersburg applied pressure and Vance launched a shot near mid-court sailing off the mark as the horn sounded with the Vikings escaping the Hive in a 66-64 overtime victory.
Vance scored a game-high 22 points in the loss for Moorefield with Shoemaker adding 11 points and Moran pitched in nine markers.
Petersburg was led by Moomau and Turner with 15 points apiece, followed by VanMeter with 14.
The Vikings scored eight 3-pointers on the night compared to four perimeter baskets by Moorefield.
Looking at the numbers: Petersburg missed 40 field goals and the Yellow Jackets missed 36; Moorefield had nine turnovers and the Vikings committed seven overall.
Free throw shooting was a factor as Moorefield went 10-of-23 and the Vikings were 14-of-23.
Commencing the game, Petersburg took a 9-4 lead which included a pair of 3-pointers by Matt VanMeter and one by Dalton Lough as the Yellow Jackets had field goals made by Chase Vance and Lane Ours.
Moorefield’s Trevor Shoemaker and Brent Moran were in the perimeter shooting action sandwiching a trey by Petersburg’s Charlie Moomau as the Vikings held a 12-10 lead.
The score was tied entering the second period as Brent Moran made a layup with 1:15 left in the frame, 14-all.
Petersburg would take a 27-21 lead late in the second period as Kahner Turner connected on a four-point play and hit a couple more free throws on another perimeter foul.
The Yellow Jackets closed the gap to 27-26 at halftime as Vance scored a putback and Ryan McGregor knocked down a 3-pointer.
In the first three and a half minutes of the third period, Moorefield scored thrice inside the paint coming by Ours and Vance twice for a 32-29 lead as the Vikings managed one field goal by Turner and missed eight attempts.
Petersburg’s Quentin Oates garnered a 3-pointer at the 2:39 mark giving the Vikings a 36-34 edge.
Moorefield answered on the following possession tying the game on a layup from Vance at 2:24.
The Vikings regained the lead on a bucket by VanMeter with 1:05 remaining.
Williams drew a foul and made both free throws for Moorefield at 0:51 to knot up the score again.
Petersburg went back ahead on a score by Turner with 27 seconds, but the Yellow Jackets equalized the game on a shot from Moran with three seconds to go.
The battle continued into the fourth period with the game locked at 40 points apiece.
Moorefield’s Trevor Shoemaker grabbed an offensive rebound and tipped the missed shot over to Coleman Mongold for a basket at 7:40.
VanMeter grabbed a defensive rebound, then Moomau drew contact and made two free throws boosting Petersburg’s lead to 46-43 at 4:25.
Vance scored on a layup for the Yellow Jackets with 3:56 to go in the fourth period, 46-45.
After a free throw by Turner, it was Moorefield’s turn at the line with Mongold hitting the two free throws locking the game at 47-all and the fight to the finish covered the hardwood ferociously.[/private]
Moorefield travels to Robert C. Byrd on Saturday for the West Virginia Hometown Invitational Tournament and visits Tucker County this coming Tuesday.