MARION — Teays Valley flipped the scoreboard on Marion Harding to advance to a Central District Division I district semifinal 54-49 Friday night.
Trailing 22-17 at halftime, No. 19 seed Teays Valley gave up the first six points of the third quarter to fall behind 28-17.
Down 35-25 with about three minutes to go, the Vikings started their comeback.
By the end of the quarter, TV had the difference down to four points — 36-32.
Kaden Purdon opened the fourth with a three for the Vikings. After Boston Pearson scored for No. 12 seed Harding, Brody Fields hit a three to tie the game.
Luke Burgett then put the Vikings up 40-38 for their first lead since the first quarter and Fields followed with a drive for a four-point TV advantage.
Harding got a pair of free throws from Trey Cady which TV answered with a basket from Sam Miller.
Logan Thrapp scored for the Presidents and then TV got a basket from Miller, a three from Purdon and a three from Fields to go up 52-42 with less than three minutes left.
The Presidents weren’t finished, though, as they added a three from Cady and then turned up the defensive pressure to get a pair of steals and a pair of layups to close to 52-49. Cavin McDowell then came through for the Vikings with a drive to score his only basket of the night to make it a five-point game.
TV failed to convert on a couple free throws in the closing moments of the game, but Harding was unable to connect on their final shot attempts as time ran out.
The Vikings were 5-8 from three-point range in the second half and 14-22 overall from the field in the second half after going 6-21 in the first half.
Fields led the Vikings with 20 points. Miller put in 15 points (10 in the second half) and grabbed seven rebounds. Purdon scored eight and had five rebounds, Luke Burgett scored six and McDowell had two points.
Long and Cady each had 15 for Harding and Thrapp had 12.
The Vikings advance to a district semifinal at 7 p.m. Wednesday against No. 8 seed Reynoldsburg – a 76-47 winner over No. 47 seed Franklin Heights. A location for the game will be announced Saturday.
