
Athens outlasts River Valley in scrappy TVC battle
By: Luke Schmitt
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BIDWELL, Ohio (WOUB) – The Athens Bulldogs traveled to River Valley and secured a hard-fought 66-57 victory over the Raiders on Friday, Jan. 31.
Earlier in the season, the Bulldogs defeated River Valley 66-51, but this rematch carried extra weight. Last year, Athens fell to the Raiders in Bidwell 39-38 to a buzzer-beating River Valley shot on Feb. 9. Last season’s outcome added extra motivation for both teams in this highly anticipated matchup.
Athens came out of the game scoring at will and jumped to a 12-4 lead halfway through the first quarter. Raiders coach Jeremy Peck called a timeout, and just like that, River Valley stormed back with an onslaught of three-point buckets from sharpshooter Brayden Burnett. Burnett had six three-point buckets for the Raiders on the night.
Athens held a slim 12-10 lead after the end of one, but River Valley carried the momentum into the second quarter. The Raiders doubled the Bulldog’s points in the second quarter and led 28-21 at the half, rallying behind the team’s aggressive play style.
River Valley scored at will in the paint, making every tough, off-balanced shot. The Raiders also applied relentless full-court pressure, shutting down an Athens squad still recovering from recent illnesses and injuries.
Athens stormed out of halftime and got into a similar rhythm to what the team found earlier in the game. Big man Zachary Mullins caught fire from deep, sunk two three-pointers in a row, and cashed at the free throw line on a fouled attempt. With their offensive spark reignited, the Bulldogs regained the lead and entered the final quarter ahead 44-41.
Early on in the fourth quarter, Zachary Mullins fouled out. His absence was a loss for the Bulldogs, as he had been a key contributor with 15 points and three rebounds, but senior Easton Nuzum and sophomore Weston Wheatley kept the Bulldogs in the game. Nuzum’s 20 points and Wheatley’s 18 powered the Bulldogs through the final stretch, allowing them to outlast the Raiders and secure a 66-57 victory.
The Bulldogs won their pivotal rematch, sweeping the Raiders on the season and getting back into the win column after their overtime loss to Nelsonville-York last week.
Athens faces a tough stretch of games following their win against River Valley, as they will play three back-to-back games next week against Wellston, Vinton County, and Marietta before a rematch with Wellston on Saturday.
River Valley will face Wellston next week and look to jump them in the TVC standings before facing the #1-seeded Meigs Marauders on Saturday.