By JOHN HOWLEY / sportingpumpkin.com
WILLIAMSPORT — Adena took control in the second quarter on the way to beating host Westfall 45-28 Friday night.
Preston Sykes had eight of his game-high 18 points in the second quarter as the Warriors turned a tie game after the first quarter into a 13-point lead at halftime.
They did that not only behind Sykes’ scoring but by not allowing the Mustangs to score. From the final minute of the first quarter until the second half, Adena kept its host from adding to its total.
Westfall’s Luke Blackburn finally broke the scoring drought 95 seconds into the third quarter.
Behind nine points from Blackburn in the third, Westfall cut a couple points off Adena’s lead heading into the fourth. A bucket from Seth Gifford and a free throw from Ashton Nunemaker got the Mustangs to within eight points early in the fourth, but a couple turnovers led to Warrior points and Adena scored 10 of the game’s final 11 points to notch win 15 to go with just two losses (9-1 SVC).
Sykes led the Warriors with 10 rebounds to go with his 18 points as Adena had a 25-21 rebounding edge in the game.
Blackburn also had 10 rebounds to lead the Mustangs (4-10, 3-6) along with his team-best 12 points. Casey Cline paced the Mustangs with seven points.
Up next
The Mustangs have some time to regroup from the loss with a Friday trip to Zane Trace the next game on the schedule. The Warriors will host Huntington Friday.
Reserve game
Brody Clark converted a three-point play with 17 seconds left to lift Westfall to a 31-29 win in the JV game.
Clark led the way with 18 points while Brydan Gall had eight, Jerry Layton and Brady Mullins each had two and Kody Day added one.
Adena 45, Westfall 28
Adena — Nate Throckmorton 2-0-4, Dillon McDonald 2-0-4, Jarrett Garrison 2-1-5, Logan Bennett 4-2-11, Preston Sykes 8-2-18, Jacob Shipley 1-0-3. Three-point goals — Bennett. Total — 19-38 5-7 45.
Westfall — Casey Cline 3-0-7, Trevor Wolfe 2-0-4, Austin Nunemaker 0-1-1, Tyler Shipley 1-0-2, Seth Gifford 1-0-2, Luke Blackburn 5-2-12. Three-point goals — Cline. Total — 12-34 3-14 28.
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Adena 11 13 11 10 45
Westfall 11 0 13 4 28