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MHS boys beat Cavs in double OT, 82-75

The Mathews High School varsity boys’ basketball team won a double overtime nail-biter on Tuesday night on the road against King William, 82-75, to remain undefeated in district play.

In an exciting week for Blue Devil basketball, the MHS boys also won another thriller over the Charles City Panthers last Thursday, 63-55.

King William

On Tuesday night, the MHS boys fielded only eight players, as injuries and illness plagued the team. Mathews would play strong defense in the first quarter, but King William hit three-pointers along with other shots to keep the game close. Mathews was unable to score the ball effectively as the quarter ended with a 15-15 tie. Mathews started strong in the second quarter as Tre Greene took control, getting to the basket and hitting tough mid-range shots. Jordyn Cosby also found his footing as he drew multiple fouls inside, putting King William’s big men in foul trouble. A huge factor in Blue Devil success was Cam Matthews drawing offensive fouls, giving Mathews more scoring opportunities. The first half ended with Mathews leading, 29-24.

King William began the third quarter with a flurry of three-pointers, but Mathews matched the Cavaliers with hard work in the paint, preventing King William from gaining a major lead. Greene led Mathews in the third, helped by his perfect shooting from the free throw line. Mathews retained the lead as King William trailed, 40-43. The fourth quarter was filled with immaculate shooting from King William as they took the lead from Mathews. Sophomore Julian Woodlen had a strong showing in the fourth, adding to his total of 16 points as he helped lead Mathews back.

Greene continued to take control as he fought hard, making contested shots. Mathews took the lead in the closing minutes, but two three-pointers would make the game close again. With seven seconds remaining, King William tied the game, 64-64, leading to OT. Overtime began with Mathews scoring, jumping out to a lead, but once again King William would tie the game forcing a second overtime. Blake Hunley was the driving force in the second OT, hitting a go-ahead three and then sealing the game with free throws.

Greene led the Devils with 24 points, followed by Cosby with 19.

Charles City

In last Thursday’s matchup at Charles City, Mathews was stunned in the opening minutes as the Panthers started strong from the three-point line. The Devils would slowly fall behind as they were unable to stop the Panthers from scoring. Greene and Colin Moore attempted to help Mathews gain an advantage with four points each in the opening quarter, but it was not enough as the Panthers led, 21-15. Charles City hoped to continue its success from seven three-pointer shots in the first quarter, but Mathews stiffened up the defense, preventing the Panthers from scoring from deep. While Mathews played strong defense, their offense sputtered to a halt as they could not find a rhythm. Cosby struggled in the paint as Charles City double-teamed the big man to hold him to six points in the first half. This strong defense from Charles City allowed them to keep the lead as the first half ended with Mathews trailing, 27-31.

The third quarter continued the Devils’ habit of coming out of halftime strong. Greene began attacking the Panther defense and scoring eight points in the third, leading Mathews to come back. Woodlen was also an offensive weapon with seven points in the third as Mathews went up, 48-44. With such a narrow lead, Mathews could not make any mistakes in the final quarter.

Greene attacked basket as he made it to the free throw line multiple times in the final quarter to help Mathews extend its lead. At the end, Greene led Mathews with 26 points, followed by Cosby and Moore with 11 points each.

JV Devils

The JV Devils, meanwhile, dropped games to both King William and Charles City. In Tuesday’s King William game, Mathews suffered a 57-9 defeat. Like their varsity counterparts, the MHS JV team was forced to play shorthanded (only seven players) as a majority of the team was out battling illness. King William began the game with a strong press, jumping out to a 24-0. Mathews was once again held scoreless in the second quarter, going into halftime down, 46-0. Blue Devils would finally score in the third as Christian Wells hit a three to add to the scoring column. In the fourth, Michael Wiatt and Cole Christensen both hit three pointers to make the final score 67-9.

The score was much closer for the JV team at Charles City, as Mathews fell, 29-25. The Panthers led 12-4 at half. Mathews would exit halftime with a fire on the offensive side as Corey Zheng scored six points in the third to lead Mathews to tie the game entering the final quarter. Michael Wiatt led the Blue Devils with nine points as he looked to take control of the game in the fourth; however, Charles City fought back, closing out the game in the final moments to win by four.

MHS boys are scheduled to host West Point tonight, Thursday, Jan. 23, beginning with the JV game at 5:30, followed by the varsity contest at 7. On Saturday, the MHS boys host Rappahannock, with the games at the same times.