Wellston picks up gritty conference win
By: Cameron Crego
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THE PLAINS, Ohio (WOUB) — The Wellston Golden Rockets (11-3, 6-2) traveled to The Plains on Friday to take on the Athens Bulldogs (5-9, 2-5). The Golden Rockets pulled out a 68-60 win in a back-and-forth, hard-fought, physical battle.
Wellston entered this game tied for second in the TVC-Ohio and still in contention for the conference title. Meanwhile, Athens sat in sixth place in the Ohio and were looking to regain their footing after starting 2-4 in conference play.
The first quarter would set the tone for the remainder of the game, with both teams getting physical and jockeying for the ball. Wellston left the quarter leading 14-11, with Wes Briggs contributing half of the Golden Rockets’ points.
Athens would pick up steam in the second quarter, as an Athens scoring run led by Theo Smucker and Wren Ballew gave the Bulldogs a 30-28 lead at halftime.
The game continued to go back-and-forth in the third quarter, as Wellston regained the lead 50-47. However, the Golden Rockets would pull away in the fourth, extending their lead to as many as 11 points and ending the game with a 68-60 win.
Many Golden Rockets players contributed significantly to Wellston’s road win, such as Wes Briggs, who led the team in scoring with 24 points, while also posting four rebounds and two assists.
After the game, Wellston head coach Joe Briggs praised his team’s ability to hinder Athens’ offense. “We know that if you want to win, especially on the road in-conference, you have to bring it on the defensive end … I thought for the most part we played hard enough defensively to win, and we have all year.”
Wellston will return home Tuesday and continue their quest for their first conference championship since 2003 as they face the Alexander Spartans. Meanwhile, Athens will travel to Bidwell on Tuesday as they face River Valley and look for the season sweep of the Raiders.