by JACOB MEREDITH / sportingpumpkin.com
ASHVILLE – It came down to the final seconds in a thriller between Teays Valley and Olentangy that saw the visiting Braves win 57-55.
The Vikings had a 55-54 lead with time winding down when the Braves got the ball back after TV committed an offensive foul.
The ball made it to the hands of Olentangy’s Carter Hire who – scoreless in the first 31 minutes Wednesday – sunk a three-pointer from the corner to lift his team to the lead.
TV had enough time to call a timeout and set up a final play but was unable to convert.
“We knew they were going to be tough. With OCC schools this is the toughness they show night in and night out and we need to get used to that,” TV coach Brian Barnett said.
The game started out with both teams missing a pair of shots before Sam Miller got Teays Valley on the board. The next six points were scored by Olentangy before TV’s Luke Burgett and Kole Nungester put in three-pointers. Brody Fields was responsible for TV’s next seven points and Miller closed out the quarter with a basket to give the Vikings a 17-16 lead.
Fields had a hot hand in the second quarter as he put in 10 of his game-high 24 points. Along with four points from Miller, and the TV defense holding Olentangy to 3-15 shooting in the quarter, the Vikings held a 31-26 lead at the half.
“We executed well on offense tonight and found the open man when we needed to,” Barnett said. “Sam and Brody did a fantastic job of scoring tonight and that showed in the box score.”
Miller finished the night with 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Coming out to start the second half, Miller and Fields drew fouls on consecutive drives and hit three of the four foul shots. Teays added a basket from Nungester as well and Miller wrapped up the scoring with two free throws as part of his nine-point quarter.
Olentangy kept pace thanks to the hot hand of Jay Agrawal. The junior had 11 of Olentangy’s 14 points in the third to leave the Vikings up 44-40 entering the fourth.
Agrawal led Olentangy with 21 points and Ulysses Ponder had 11.
The Vikings (1-1) open their final season of Mid-State League play hosting Liberty Union Friday night.
Olentangy 57, Teays Valley 55
Olentangy— Ulysses Ponder 4-3-11, Gavin Grover 2-2-6, Jay Agrawal 8-0-21, Carter Hire 1-0-3, Jackson Wiley 2-1-5, Quentin Page 4-0-9. Three-point goals — Agrawal (5), Hire, Page Total — 21-56 8-11 57.
Teays Valley — Kole Nungester 3-0-8, Brody Fields 6-9-24, Luke Burgett 1-0-3, Sam Miller 8-4-20. Three-point goals — Nungester (2), Fields (3), Burgett. Total — 18-37 13-17 55.
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Olentangy 16 10 14 17 57
Teays Valley 17 14 13 11 55
