photo by: Kim North

Wheeling Central’s Max Olejasz (24) scores two of his 16 points Friday night against Linsly on Coach Skip Prosser Court inside the Wheeling Central Athletic Center in East Wheeling. The Maroon Knights moved to 13-0 with a 73-58 victory before a standing-room-only crowd.

EAST WHEELING – Friday night was deja vu from three nights earlier for the Wheeling Central boys’ basketball team.

The Maroon Knights (13-0) held a 47-45 margin over visiting Linsly after three back-and-forth quarters, but, once again, Eli Sancomb bailed them out. The Liberty University recruit netted 20 of his 36 points in the final panel as the hosts pulled away from the Cadets, 73-58, on Coach Skip Prosser Court before a standing-room-only crowd inside the Wheeling Central Athletic Center.

The 6-5 Sancomb, who had 21 of his 32 in the fourth quarter Tuesday night at Monroe Central, was 8-for-11 from the charity stripe during the final eight minutes and 9-for-13 for the game. He also made 13 field goals from a variety of spots on the floor.

“Being able to get Eli to the foul line helps a ton. If we get to where we can spread it (our offense) out and let him drive to the basket off screens, he’s really good at finding open guys when he doesn’t get fouled,” veteran Wheeling Central head coach Mel Stephens said. “We didn’t play anywhere near our best, but a lot of the credit goes to Linsly. They did what they had to do to make it a game.”

When asked if the huge road win at Monroe Central had something to do with the way his team played, Stephens quickly replied, “No. People say that all the time, but it’s been a couple of days now, and these kids know that once that game is over, it’s done and we have to get ready for our next one.

“We’ve got some things to work on and we’ll get back at it tomorrow,” he added. “We need to try and get a little better each day.”

The Cadets (6-10) hung tough on the outside shooting of Mason Liebelt. The southpaw drained five three-point goals to finish with 15 points. His fifth trey, early in the fourth quarter made it a 49-48 game in favor of the hosts, but they would then go on a 11-0 run that sealed the deal. Sancomb scored the first six before Stephen Brodegard followed up his own miss and Max Olejasz meshed a pair of free throws.

Linsly got as close as eight down the stretch, but Sancomb tallied the final 13 Maroon Knight markers.

“He’s the best player in the state for a reason,” first-year Linsly head coach Bubby Goodwin said of Sancomb, who also charted 15 rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. “I enjoy watching him play and I’ll enjoy watching him in the future.”

Joining Sancomb in double digits was Olejasz with 16. Luke Sancomb and Brodegard each added eight. Olejasz just missed a double-double with nine boards.

In addition to Liebelt’s 15 points, Biram Ndiaye and Nolan Smith scored 16 each.

“We missed a lot of easy shots … a lot of bunnies,” Goodwin said. “We gave up a lot of 50-50 balls and missed a lot of free throws. You’ve got to be able to do the little things.”

Wheeling Central, the No. 1 seed, next plays Tuesday night at home against fourth-seeded Martins Ferry in the OVAC WVU Medicine Boys Basketball Championships. Linsly will host Wheeling Central on Feb. 17 inside the Stifel Fieldhouse.