By: Adam Freeman
The TCHS boys’ basketball team finally opened their season last week in Frostburg, MD, at Mt. Ridge High School. The Miners of Mt. Ridge took a slight advantage early, leading 17-12 at the end of the first period. However, Tucker would battle back in the second quarter, outscoring the Miners 12-7 to tie the game at 24 heading into halftime.
The second half turned into a heavyweight fight, with both teams trading blows and exchanging leads throughout the third quarter. The Miners held a slim 36-34 edge heading into the final period.
The final quarter was filled with drama and controversy. With just 8.6 seconds left, the Mt. Lions held a 51-49 lead when senior Xander Lambert was fouled and stepped to the free-throw line for two shots. Lambert’s first attempt was off the mark, but his second attempt found the basket, only for the shot to be waved off due to a lane violation. With the ball and trailing by two, Mt. Ridge hit a clutch elbow jumper to tie the game at 51, sending it into overtime.
In the extra period, the Miners took control with an and-1 play to open overtime, eventually pulling away for a 62-58 win.
Tucker was led by junior Ethan Cummings, who scored 19 points, while senior Sam Marks added 10 and senior Carson Dearborn contributed 9.
Tucker will look to bounce back when they travel to Elkins on Monday, December 15th, for a 5:45 PM JV tip-off. The team will return home later in the week for a special day game against Pendleton County at 1:00 PM, which will be open to the public. For those unable to attend, the game will be streamed live on the TC Athletics YouTube page.
