Mustangs earn huge wins over North Adams and Blanchester this weekend

DODSONVILLE — The weekend was one to remember for the 2025-26 Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs boys basketball team, as they dominated the Blanchester Wildcats at home on Friday, followed by an even bigger win over a Southern Hills Athletic Conference rival, the North Adams Green Devils, Saturday night at NAHS. 

The win on Saturday night by the Mustangs was their first over the Green Devils since the 2017-18 season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Mustangs as they now stand at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SHAC Division I standings. 

The weekend wins snapped a four-game skid by the Mustangs. 

Saturday night (Dec. 20) saw Lynchburg-Clay outscore the host Green Devils 10-6 after the first quarter, then the Mustangs won the second frame as well, this time scoring 16 points and holding North Adams to nine points for a halftime lead of 26-15. 

LCHS wasn’t finished winning each quarter, with the Mustangs taking the third frame at 17-15 for a 43-30 advantage. The Mustangs won the fourth quarter as well at 11-8 for the 16-point win over the host Green Devils. 

The first quarter for the Mustangs included four points scored by Denver Clinton, while Elam Faust, Trevor Niehaus and Tanner Roberts each scored two points in the frame. Lynchburg-Clay’s 16-point second quarter included six points each from Quin Wells and Roberts, along with two points each from Faust and Clinton. All 26 first-half points scored by the Mustangs came off two-point baskets. 

Lynchburg-Clay’s third quarter saw Roberts score eight points off four baskets, plus five points by Faust, who made a 3-pointer and two free throws. The quarter also included four points scored by Clinton. 

In the fourth and final quarter, the Mustangs topped off their scoring with five points from Roberts and two points apiece from Wells, Faust and Clinton. 

Roberts led the Mustangs with 21 points, finishing with 10 two-point buckets and he was 1-of-5 from the free-throw line. Clinton totaled 12 points in the win with six two-point baskets. Faust totaled 11 points with three two-point baskets, one 3-pointer and he was 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. 

LCHS also had eight points from Wells off four made two-point baskets, and Niehaus finished with two points. As a team, LCHS totaled 24 two-point baskets, one 3-pointer and they were 3-of-10 from the free-throw line. 

For North Adams, they were led by Carson Davis with 15 points, making three two-point baskets and three 3-pointers. Jesse Kennedy ended the game with 12 points, as he totaled three two-point baskets, one 3-pointer and he was 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. 

NAHS also had points from Thaddeus Moore (5), Dalton Pence (2) and Colin Tolle (4). As a team, the Green Devils had 11 two-point baskets, four 3-pointers and NAHS was 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. 

The Green Devils with the loss move to 2-2 in the SHAC Div. I standings, and they are now 3-2 overall. 

Next for LCHS (1-3, 3-4) is a non-conference home game on Tuesday, Dec. 30 against Highland County counterpart, the Hillsboro Indians (0-3, 0-7). 

BOX SCORE
LCHS    10 16 17 11 — 54
NAHS    06 09 15 08 — 38

Friday night the Mustangs played dominant basketball where all players had playing time when they defeated the visiting Blanchester Wildcats, 71-45 at Lynchburg-Clay High School. 

The Mustangs led 21-11 at the conclusion of the first quarter, and though they allowed the first point to be scored by the Wildcats, the Mustangs answered with a 9-0 run which began with a layup by Elam Faust, then four points from Tanner Roberts (two free throws and a layup). Next came a 3-pointer from the corner made by Harley Lewis around the 4:15 mark of the first frame. 

After BHS broke up the scoring run with 4:11 on the clock, but the Mustangs just started another run, this time a 10-0 run, giving LCHS a 19-2 overall scoring advantage from the 5:30 mark to the 2:29 mark. 

In the 10-0 run, Lynchburg-Clay started with a layup by Quin Wells, then came a put-back basket by Denver Clinton and a basket by Trevor Niehaus to put the Mustangs ahead 15-3 with 2:55 on the first-quarter clock. 

Then came another basket by Clinton and two points in the paint from Wells for a 19-3 LCHS lead with 2:29 left in the opening quarter. 

BHS outscored LCHS 8-2 in the final 1:59 of the first frame for a 21-11 score. 

“We talked to the kids about playing to our standard, and they were hungry for a win, too,” LCHS head coach Kyle Pertuest said. “We played a really grueling schedule the first five games of the season, and we are not where we want to be in the win-loss column, and you've got to start sometime. We were just really focused on coming out and getting a win today.”

Lynchburg-Clay led 36-21 at halftime as they had points scored in the second frame by Roberts, Niehaus, Roberts, Linkin Barnett (a 3-pointer at the 4:53 mark), Faust, Clinton and Wells. LCHS led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter and no fewer than 10 points, as they outscored Blanchester 15-10 in the quarter. 

The Mustangs held a 20-point lead after the third quarter at 53-33, as they built a 17-point quarter. The third included two points from Barnett, two free throws made by Niehaus, six plints off three baskets by Roberts, two points off a basket by Clinton and five points by Lewis, who made two shots from the field and a free throw. 

In the fourth quarter, LCHS had three points each by Faust and Barnett off 3-pointers, two points from the free-throw line by Niehaus, six points from three baskets made by Clinton, one point off a free throw made by Rhalston Greene and three points scored by Caden Boone, who sank a shot from the field, plus made a free throw. 

Clinton led LCHS with 16 points, finishing the game with seven baskets and he was also 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Clinton collected a double-double by grabbing 12 rebounds (four offensive), plus he added three assists and two steals. 

Roberts finished with 14 points off six two-point baskets, and he was 2-of-2 in his free-throw chances. The sophomore Roberts added six rebounds, two assists and three blocks. 

LCHS also had Faust with seven points, two rebounds and three assists. Lewis finished with eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Wells totaled six points, one rebound and one assist.

Barnett ended the game with eight points, four rebounds and two steals. Boone totaled three points and one assist. Greene finished with one point and one assist. Niehaus totaled eight points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal. Austin Manning finished with a rebound, while teammate Aric Slack had one steal. 

Team totals for the Mustangs were 24 two-point baskets, four 3-pointers, and they were 11-of-13 from the free-throw line. LCHS also collected 36 rebounds (10 offensive), 15 assists, eight steals and three blocks. 

“Anytime you can get all of your kids in a game, especially guys who come in at practice and may not always have opportunities, you feel really good about it, because they are on the bench supporting their teammates and are really good teammates,” Pertuset said. “You want to get them opportunities, and I'm thrilled we were able to do that.”

BOX SCORE
BHS      11 10 12 12 — 45
LCHS    21 15 17 18 — 71