Strong finish spurs Mustangs to 61-53 league win at North Adams

     SEAMAN — With 2:49 left in regulation, the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs and the North Adams Green Devils had played to a 50-50 draw. But in bang-bang fashion, Mustang guard Tyler Davidson dished out two consecutive assists: the first to Dylan Noll and the second to Austin Fawley.

     Those buckets jump-started a decisive, 11-3 run, giving the Mustangs a hard-fought, 61-53 Southern Hills League win Friday night.

The two familiar rivals battled to a 27-27 halftime tie, after North Adams broke out to a 19-12 lead after the first eight minutes. Fifteen of the Green Devils' first 19 points came via the 3-point variety.

     Drew Dollich opened the game by draining a long 3-pointer as the home crowd was in its customary standing position. A few minutes after the crowd settled into their seats, Dollich hit a deuce and another trey. After a conventional three-point conversion by Sam Louden at the 2:30 mark, Kris King got into the three-ball act by connecting on a pair from beyond the arc. Jordan DeHaas kept the Mustangs close, however, with six first-quarter points.

     Steve Collins started the L-C scoring in the second quarter with two in the paint, which he dominated most of the night. Davidson added a two and a 3-pointer.
     DeHaas capped the Mustangs' scoring in the second period with a steal and a near-dunk, as he dropped the rock just over the rim with time winding down.

     After the break and an entertaining halftime program by the North Adams cheerleaders, the Devils seemed to be in control. A basket by Drew Dollich with just under three minutes on the clock gave North Adams a 35-30 lead. Once again, though, the Mustangs fought back. This time it was Fawley nailing back-to-back treys from deep in the corner just in front of the visitors' bench.

       Fawley's second 3-pointer off an assist by DeHaas made it a 36-35 game. Dollich answered from the foul line, though, and North Adams held a slim, 38-36 lead going into the fourth period. But after Davidson and Fawley connected late in the game, North Adams couldn't recover.

     Fawley's 15 points paced the Mustangs. DeHaas added 10 points, Collins scored nine, Aaron Skaggs connected for nine points, Noll finished with eight and Davidson scored five points.

      For North Adams, Drew Dollich led all scorers with 16 points. Sam Louden scored 15 points and Kris King added eight.

LC  12  15  09  25 - 61

NA  19  08  11  15 - 51

LC (61) - Davidson 1-1-0-5; Skaggs 3-3-9; DeHaas 4-2-10; Fawley 3-3-0-15; Noll 4-0-8; Collins 3-3-9.

NA (53) Louden 5-5-15; King 1-2-0-8; Zach Dollich 1-1-0-5; Davis 1-1-3; Latham 1-2-4; Drew Dollich 3-3-1-16; Baker 1-0-2.

* In reserve play, North Adams won, 32-31.

Caleb Harper scored 11 points to lead the Devils, while Anthony Richdendollar and Nathan Beasley each scored seven.

Shain Gragg led the Mustangs with eight points. Austin Gorman scored seven and Wes Pierson and Brad Barger each scored six points.

* The Green Devils also won the freshmen contest, 43-34. Andrew Valentine paced the Green Devils with 15 points. Matt Roades scored eight and Seth Sparks and David Shipley each scored seven points.

Jacob Skaggs had a 17-point effort for Lynchburg-Clay. Cody Griffith scored nine points and Aaron Little scored three.