The Monday night marksman
By: TJ Tilford
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Vinton County leashes Athens in the final minutes, winning 67-56 off an impressive team showing from behind the arc.
The crowd was rocking for the start of this game following a JV thriller between the two teams.
The first quarter was high paced with Vinton County attempting 10 three pointers. However, it was the opposite for Athens, who made their money in the paint.
Vinton County was extremely active on the offensive boards, providing themselves with many second-chance opportunities, and the quarter ended tied at 13-13.
The two teams began the second quarter trading three-pointers left and right. Vinton County’s Josh Montgomery, Jase Moore, and Nash Yates would set the tone for the Vikings, helping them hop out to a 28-21 lead halfway through the quarter. However, Athens would own the back end of the quarter, led by heavy defensive pressure, and a late three-pointer would send it to halftime with a 28-27 Vinton County lead.
Josh Montgomery would continue to make his presence felt in the third quarter, scoring 7 of the Vikings’ first 10 points and assisting on another.
All hope seemed lost, but Athens would continue to bite back. The Bulldogs would scratch and claw their way back into this game, with it being a toss-up heading into the fourth, 45-42.
The Decibel meter rose to a new level during the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs would keep the game within three points before taking a one-point lead at the five-minute mark.
Vinton County would come down and immediately answer with a Yates three-pointer, but Athens would do the same off a Wren Ballew bucket from deep, giving the Bulldogs a 53-52 lead.
The two teams would then exchange a couple of defensive stops before Yates and Moore would pair up with back-to-back Bangs from behind the arc.
With two minutes remaining, Athens was desperate for an answer, and they would find one in Collin Chapman. He knocked down a 3-pointer and then would steal the inbound pass. The Bulldogs couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, and the Vikings would make them pay with an avalanche of buckets and defensive stops. They would hang on to win this contest 67-56.
Vinton County is now 2-1 following the win, and their success from behind the arc has fans optimistic for this team’s future. Montgomery led the way for the Vikings, scoring 20 points, and teammate Yates was not far behind, going 5/10 from deep and scoring 17 points total.
The Vikings are back home on Thursday night against Alexander.
Athens falls to 1-3, but the season is still early, and the Bulldogs’ ability to score off turnovers will soon create a winning formula. Athens looks to get back to the Win Column on Saturday night at Logan.