Tigers get past Bucs in a battle
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TENNERTON -- Tanner Miller carried the scoring load early before Cory Harper and Malachi Watson came alive in the second half as Class AAA, No. 9 Elkins held off Buckhannon-Upshur, 61-57, on Tuesday night.
It was a battle of experience vs. youth in the latest edition of the rivalry, as the Tigers started five seniors and the Bucs of first-year coach Jason Westfall have just one senior on the team in Zach Calef-Boring.
Elkins led 13-8 after one quarter and by as many as nine points, at 23-14, in the second before a pair of 3-pointers by Ian Strader ignited B-U on an 11-1 run and the hosts took their first lead of the night at 25-24.
Miller capped off his 16-point first half with a free throw with under 4 seconds left in the frame to tie the contest. He finished with 18 on the night.
The Tigers scored the first eight points out of the intermission break but a runner by Calef-Boring allowed the Bucs to once again draw even at 35-35.
But Watson converted back-to-back conventional three-point plays with just under 4 minutes to play in the quarter and Elkins never surrendered the lead again.
A trey by Harper with 1:20 remaining in the frame gave the Tigers some breathing room, at 47-39, and the cushion was 49-43 after three quarters.
A layup by Calef-Boring midway through the final quarter brought the Bucs to within 55-52 but they came no closer as Elkins hit three free throws inside a minute to play.
A 3-pointer by B-U's Chase Spencer just before the end of regulation set the final at 61-57.
Harper netted 16 of his game-high 22 points over the final two quarters, while Watson had 15 of his 18 points after intermission.
Carter Zuliani had 14 points, Jaden Westfall 12 and Calef-Boring 10 for the Bucs, who are now 6-12 and will host Bridgeport on Saturday.
Elkins improved to 10-7 and returns home on Friday to face Tygarts Valley.
Elkins (10-7)
Cory Harper 7 4-6 22, Tanner Miller 5 6-18 18, Addison McCauley 0 1-5 1, Ben Baines 1 0-1 2, Malachi Watson 7 3-4 18. Totals 20 14-24 61
B-U (6-12)
Zach Calef-Boring 5 0-0 10, Bryson Johnston 3 0-0 6, Carter Zuliani 7 0-0 14, Ian Strader 2 2-2 8, Jaden Westfall 4 4-8 12, Jerin Westfall 1 1-2 4, Chase Spencer 1 0-0 3. Totals 23 7-12 57
Elkins 13 12 24 12 -- 61
B-U 8 17 18 14 -- 57
3-point goals: EHS 7 (Harper 4, Miller 2 and Watson), B-U 4 (Strader 2, Jerin Westfall and Spencer)