Local Sports, Sports

No. 1 University fights off upset, defeats Musselman 69-60

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Just days off a swamping, big-time win over rival and then-No. 2 Morgantown in the OVAC finals, the No. 1 University boys’ basketball team was given a run for its money against unranked Musselman. But the Hawks, trailing nearly the entire game, eventually snapped out of their slump in the second half and defeated the Applemen, 69-60. 

“They weren’t ready to play,” UHS coach Joe Schmidle said. “It was like that in practice yesterday. There was no intensity. They were coming off that high [from OVACs] and trying to match that intensity against a good team. These kids pay too much attention to scores and I’m trying to tell them that these teams out here that they don’t think are good are a lot better than they realize. Musselman is a good team, they’re well-coached.”

The Applemen (11-9) jumped to a short lead early as 6-foot-2 junior power forward T.J. Stuckey began to bruise the slow-footed Hawks in the paint. Stuckey continued to abuse UHS down low, racking up 16 of his 22 points to lead Musselman through a dominant two quarters. But even with Stuckey sticking it to the Hawks, Blake Barkley, John Ross Mazza, K.J. McClurg and a stiff-shouldered Kaden Metheny managed to punch back to tie it at the half, 28-28. 

The Hawks (17-3) began to fight back in the third quarter behind a strong defense and McClurg catching fire, as the senior guard single-handedly put up 13 points off three treys and two lay-ins. But almost as soon as McClurg put the Hawks ahead 10 points off an 11-0 run, the Applemen fought back to take the lead once more at the end of the third. In total, there were seven lead changes in the second half. 

McClurg continued to hit his shots in the fourth – netting nine points – and backed up by Metheny with six and Barkley with four steals the Hawks took the lead once more, resting at 65-58 as Musselman coach Derek Basile called his final timeout with 3:40 left. Two more turnovers out of the timeout followed by two fouls on center Mike Maumbe gave UHS 67 points, and a final bucket by McClurg sealed the night. 

Crisis averted. No upset on Bakers Ridge. 

“We were lucky we showed up in the second half defensively or we would’ve lost,” Schmidle said. “It was a wake-up call. We’ve had some big victories – lopsided victories – over really good teams. We didn’t shoot worth a darn in the first half. We missed layups. Kaden missed two of them and he hasn’t missed two layups in his entire life. And he dribbled the ball off his foot twice. It was one of those days and games. “

McClurg’s big night not only saved the Hawks from the upset, but he also led the team with 26 points. Metheny was right behind him with 17, albeit his shooting shoulder nagging him. Additionally, the Hawks hit 12 of 21 (57.1%) from the free throw line. No other Hawk saw double-digit scoring, but they made up for it on defense. Especially Barkley. 

“I was proud of how they responded especially after getting up by 10 and losing the lead,” Schmidle said. “Blake Barkley was huge. He got his hands on that ball, deflected some passes to his teammate and made some good outlet passes. K.J. woke up in the second half and shot the ball well.”

Aside from Stuckey, Caleb Hardy helped pace the Applemen with 10 points. Musselman shot 5 of 7 (71.4%) from the free throw line. 

The win marked the Hawks’ final home game of the season and extends their win streak to eight games, as they finish off the regular season on the road at Buckhannon-Upshur next Monday and Preston next Wednesday. University hasn’t lost since Jan. 15 when Morgantown upset them 67-65.

The loss is Musselman’s third in a row, following a 66-43 loss to Hedgesville and a 73-71 overtime loss to the Buccaneers on Monday. The Applemen continue their three-game road series on Friday at Spring Mills before closing the regular season with a homer against Fort Hill (Md.) on Monday. But even though they fell to the Hawks, Basile is convinced his team can close out the regular season on a good note and bruise its way through sectionals and regionals.

“I thought [our defense] was tremendous,” Basile said. “Our big men held their own against [University’s] and we held our own on the boards. That’s what we needed to do. 

“Games like tonight are the reason we play games like tonight. The tough atmosphere against the top competition, it shows you can play. I hope, even though we lost, it’s a confidence boost. This type of game gets you ready for [the postseason]. There’s a lot of good teams in the Eastern Panhandle, so I think we’ll play well.” 

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