Gray Sparks JM By Weir
Senior Scores 27, Gets 18 Rebounds In Win
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MOUNDSVILLE - Often in basketball one shot can give a team the momentum it needs to get the job finished. That's what transpired Friday night inside the John Marshall Field House.
With his team trailing 43-42 to visiting Weir High and time winding down in the third quarter, John Marshall's Roman Gray nailed a three-pointer from the left wing just ahead of the buzzer and the Monarchs never trailed again on their way to a 60-49 repeat victory.
"I knew right away that it was going to go in," Gray said. "It just had that feel.
"It was big for the team," Gray said of the clutch shot. "We did a better job on the offensive boards in the second half. We settled down and played as a team."
The basket sparked the hosts as they netted the first six points of the fourth quarter and 13 of the first 16 as the Red Riders (13-9) would only score 22 second-half points, including a mere six in the final panel.
"There wasn't much said at halftime. The kids just kind of sat there while we, the coaching staff, talked in the corner," John Marshall head coach Chad Clutter said. "We all came together and threw a couple of strategies together and went out and played the way we are capable of in the third quarter."
Clutter said Gray's triple was right on time.
"We were 2-for-10 shooting threes in the first half. We had hit a couple earlier in the quarter before Roman came through there at the end," Clutter said. "We can shoot them. I just tell the guys to get their feet set and shoulders square. If the shots fall, they fall. If they don't, they don't."
Friday night they did.
A Brady Williams basket and four quick points from Brennan Sobutka to start the fourth quarter bumped the Monarchs (10-9) margin to 51-43 and, after the visitors made it 53-46, a conventional three-point play led to game-ending 7-3 run.
"They outplayed us. They outrebounded us in the second half and we had a bunch of turnovers," Weir High head coach Anthony Santangelo said. "Credit to John Marshall. They played hard and pulled out the win."
John Marshall used eight points from point guard Cody Hartman in taking a 17-12 lead after the first quarter. However, with leading scorer G Cross taking the floor to start the second quarter after what Santangelo termed "inside the lockerroom stuff," the Red Riders rallied behind eight Cross points to lead 27-21 at the break.
Gray, who scored seven first-half points, took over in the third quarter on both ends of the court. The 6-2 senior tallied 14 of his game-high 25 and yanked down five of his 11 second-half rebounds as the Monarchs outscored the Red Riders, 24-16.
The lead exchanged hands five times in the final 2:30 of the third quarter, with Gray's bonus bomb being the fifth.
Brennan Sobutka supported Gray with 14 points, one more than Hartman. Tyke Muldrew had five rebounds in a reserve role.
Leading Weir High was Cross with 22, including four treys. Damarr Turner had 10 and Justin Brueck eight rebounds.
John Marshall led 34-26 off the glass and had one less turnover at 15-14.
The Monarchs are right back at it tonight when they trek to Bridgeport, W.Va.