BRISTOL, Va. – The Virginia High Bearcats gave Jason Stevens, their first-year coach, a glass-encased basketball signed by the team after the game. Stevens appreciated the gesture, but would’ve preferred something else – like two halves of consistent, high-tempo basketball.
Nevertheless, the two quarters of dynamic play Stevens’ players did give him Wednesday proved too much for J.J. Kelly to overcome, as the Bearcats defeated the Indians, 51-38, in the first round of the Region D, Division 2 tournament at the Bearcat Den.
“The first half was fantastic. The first half was great,” Stevens said. “The third quarter, man, [Kelly] wanted it more. They’re a good, scrappy team, that’s why they’re in the region tournament. We were lucky to get out of it with a win.”
The Bearcats were also fortunate to have Josh Moore and Ahmad Eccleston on their side.
Virginia High’s version of the Twin Towers set the tone early, letting the Indians know it would be tough sledding in the paint on both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor.
Moore scored eight points in the first quarter, finishing with a game-high 19. And while Eccleston did not find the bucket once, he recorded four blocks in the first quarter and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for the Bearcats.
“Ahmad is a really good defensive player; he gets after it every night,” Moore said. “I just crash the boards as much as I can. I think we work well together down there.”
Following Moore and Eccleston’s lead, Virginia High sprinted to a 20-11 first-quarter advantage and used a late 7-0 second-quarter run to increase their lead to 17 entering halftime.
But that’s where the Bearcats’ well-oiled machine ran into some friction. Moore’s bucket with 2:30 remaining was the only scoring Virginia High managed in the third quarter, and by the start of the final period, Kelly found itself within striking distance, down 35-27.
“We weren’t playing not to lose, it would just a total meltdown,” Stevens said. “I don’t know what else to say. We weren’t holding the ball or anything. We were trying to score, we just didn’t score.”
But neither could the Indians. Kelly cut Virginia High’s lead to six early in the fourth, but a dismal shooting night put the kibosh on any Indians comeback attempt.
“We just didn’t shoot very well,” said Kelly coach T.J. McAmis, whose team shot 29 percent from the floor. “They looked really good in the first half … we dug too big of a whole to come back from. I’m proud that [Kelly] didn’t lie down and I think we had a shot there at the end, we just didn’t finish.”
Devan Sproles was the Indians’ lone double-digit scorer, finishing with 10 points and four rebounds, while Devan Miller helped out by grabbing six boards.
Virginia High’s Corey Young finished off the Indians by connecting on 5 of 6 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter on his way to 15 points.
The Bearcats move on to play Lebanon on Friday.
J.J. KELLY (38) – Roberts 1, Dotson 5, Clark 3, Devan Sproles 10, Short 6, Teasley 2, Collins 5, Miller 4, Maine 2.
VIRGINIA HIGH (51) – Corey Young 15, Tignor 7, Mink 4, Gibson 2, Josh Moore 19, McCall 4.
Kelly 11 5 11 11–38
Virginia High 20 13 2 16–51
3-point goals – JJK 4 (Dotson, Clark, Short 2); VH 1 (Tignor).
scampbell@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2543
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