Hardwood Heroes
Buckeyes secure victory against Bulldogs
By: Sam Nolan
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ATHENS, Ohio- The Nelsonville-York Buckeyes visited the Athens Bulldogs for a TVC-Ohio showdown Friday night. Neither team could seem to take the lid off the basket, and it resulted in a low scoring first quarter. NY showed clear frustration as the Bulldogs were in the exact spot they hoped for. Athens took an unexpected lead, 11-7.
The Buckeyes seemed to turn the tides in the second, however. NY took a 17-15 lead heading into the locker room. The boys found some type of offensive rhythm, and Coach Gabriel said the defensive switches allowed for the shift in momentum. Gabriel stated,
“At halftime we talked about changing our press a little bit… and it helped us.”
The Buckeyes kept things moving from that point on, outscoring the Bulldogs 18-7 in the third quarter. Keagan Swope’s 5 steal performance paired with his elite on-ball defense forced Athens into uncomfortable situations and was the key component in the NY run. The Buckeyes went up 35-22 going into the fourth quarter.
NY put it in cruise control for the remainder of the match, winning 44-28. This was a test for the Buckeyes as they head into the tournament. The squad overcame adversity down the stretch, and it showed promise heading into postseason play. If the defense can hold up the way it did Friday night, NY will be tough to beat come tournament time.
Alec Thompson, sophomore for NY, was the leading scorer for the boys, finishing with 10 points. Thompson has been a starter for the Buckeyes all year and is a name to watch headed into the future.
Nelsonville-York now moves to 14-8 on the season and will play their first-round tournament match Monday night against Peebles at 7 p.m. As for Athens, they face off against Logan Elm on Saturday at 2 p.m.