North Adams upends West Union, 64-56
Lead Summary

By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Drew Dollich and Kris King combined for 41 points on Homecoming night, as the North Adams Green Devils upended the West Union Dragons, 64-56, Friday, Jan. 14.
West Union owned a 30-28 halftime lead on the strength of nine first-half points by Braxton Gaffin.
Dollich, meanwhile, kept the Devils close with five 3-pointers in the first 16 minutes of play.
Dollich opened the second half by converting a conventional 3-point play to give North Adams a 31-30 edge. However, Gaffin answered with a field goal and a free throw of his own, and the Dragons had regained the lead, 33-31, with 7:07 remaining in the third period.
From that point on, the Devils went on a 33-23 tear. The Devils' run began with a series of 3-pointers from King, two of which were set up by assists from Will Leasure. King stepped out behind the arc for his first trey at the 6:12 mark. Forty seconds later, King drained another 3-pointer; then, with 5:01 on the clock, he laced yet another 3-ball off a Leasure pass that put North Adams on top, 40-33.
Gaffin broke the run with a deuce for the Dragons. But sophomore Seth Sparks knocked down a jumper from the top of the key to make it 42-35.
Gaffin and Austin Kingsolver hit consecutive baskets for West Union to cut the margin to 42-39. Leasure then drove to the bucket off a screen set by postman Quintin Baker to give the Devils, who were coached by jayvee coach Nathan Copas in the absence of head coach Dave Young, a five-point lead.
With time running out in the third quarter, Drew Mitchell grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in for two and was fouled on the play. Mitchell's free throw gave North Adams a 47-39 advantage. But with one second remaining, West Union guard Tanner Huntley drained a 3-pointer to end the period at 47-42, North Adams.
Neither team scored for almost three minutes to begin the fourth quarter.
West Union's Bryce Kramer broke the scoring drought at the 5:17 mark. Dollich, however, quickly answered for the Devils to keep it a five-point game, 49-44. King and Sheridan Carroll each added 2-point field goals to stretch the lead to nine, 53-44.
With 3:01 left in regulation, King iced the contest with a coast-to-coast layup on a spin move at the basket. He was fouled by Kramer on the shot. King's free throw completed the play and extended the lead to 56-44. Dollich gave the Devils a 14-point edge with 2:06 to play.
West Union closed the gap to six points after a Brad Grooms basket, but the Dragons would get no closer.
Dollich led all players with 22 points, including five treys. King scored 19 points and connected on three from beyond the arc. Carroll added six points, Sparks finished with four, Mitchell and Levi Bales each scored three, Leasure added two points, and Anthony Richendollar scored one.
Gaffin paced West Union with 16 points, followed by 14 from Kramer, 12 by Huntley and 10 by Grooms.
Score by quarters
WU 13 17 12 14 – 56
NA 12 16 19 17 – 64
***
• In reserve action, North Adams defeated West Union, 65-35.
David Shipley led the Green Devils with 19 points. Devin Gardner and Andrew Valentine each finished with 11 points and Levi Bales scored nine.
Shipley hit three 3-pointers for the Devils.
Logan McUne led West Union with 11 points, followed by Levi McUne with eight and Kade Miller with five.
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West Union owned a 30-28 halftime lead on the strength of nine first-half points by Braxton Gaffin.
Dollich, meanwhile, kept the Devils close with five 3-pointers in the first 16 minutes of play.
Dollich opened the second half by converting a conventional 3-point play to give North Adams a 31-30 edge. However, Gaffin answered with a field goal and a free throw of his own, and the Dragons had regained the lead, 33-31, with 7:07 remaining in the third period.
From that point on, the Devils went on a 33-23 tear. The Devils' run began with a series of 3-pointers from King, two of which were set up by assists from Will Leasure. King stepped out behind the arc for his first trey at the 6:12 mark. Forty seconds later, King drained another 3-pointer; then, with 5:01 on the clock, he laced yet another 3-ball off a Leasure pass that put North Adams on top, 40-33.
Gaffin broke the run with a deuce for the Dragons. But sophomore Seth Sparks knocked down a jumper from the top of the key to make it 42-35.
Gaffin and Austin Kingsolver hit consecutive baskets for West Union to cut the margin to 42-39. Leasure then drove to the bucket off a screen set by postman Quintin Baker to give the Devils, who were coached by jayvee coach Nathan Copas in the absence of head coach Dave Young, a five-point lead.
With time running out in the third quarter, Drew Mitchell grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in for two and was fouled on the play. Mitchell's free throw gave North Adams a 47-39 advantage. But with one second remaining, West Union guard Tanner Huntley drained a 3-pointer to end the period at 47-42, North Adams.
Neither team scored for almost three minutes to begin the fourth quarter.
West Union's Bryce Kramer broke the scoring drought at the 5:17 mark. Dollich, however, quickly answered for the Devils to keep it a five-point game, 49-44. King and Sheridan Carroll each added 2-point field goals to stretch the lead to nine, 53-44.
With 3:01 left in regulation, King iced the contest with a coast-to-coast layup on a spin move at the basket. He was fouled by Kramer on the shot. King's free throw completed the play and extended the lead to 56-44. Dollich gave the Devils a 14-point edge with 2:06 to play.
West Union closed the gap to six points after a Brad Grooms basket, but the Dragons would get no closer.
Dollich led all players with 22 points, including five treys. King scored 19 points and connected on three from beyond the arc. Carroll added six points, Sparks finished with four, Mitchell and Levi Bales each scored three, Leasure added two points, and Anthony Richendollar scored one.
Gaffin paced West Union with 16 points, followed by 14 from Kramer, 12 by Huntley and 10 by Grooms.
Score by quarters
WU 13 17 12 14 – 56
NA 12 16 19 17 – 64
***
• In reserve action, North Adams defeated West Union, 65-35.
David Shipley led the Green Devils with 19 points. Devin Gardner and Andrew Valentine each finished with 11 points and Levi Bales scored nine.
Shipley hit three 3-pointers for the Devils.
Logan McUne led West Union with 11 points, followed by Levi McUne with eight and Kade Miller with five.
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