By: Adam Freeman
The Tucker County boys basketball team had two pivotal matchups last week, the first being a home game with Pendleton County with regional seeding on the line. Tucker got up on Pendleton to start, holding an 11-7 lead at the end of the first. Pendleton would battle back, however, to take a 1-point lead into the half at 27-26. Pendleton’s lead would grow in the third period, outscoring Tucker 15-11 to take a 42-37 lead into the fourth. Pendleton had its highest-scoring quarter of the game in the fourth, scoring 20 points to end the game and going home to Franklin with a 62-51 win over the Mt. Lions.
Dearborn 16 pts, 3 Reb, FT 2-2; Marks 15 pts, 1 Reb, 7 Ast; Arnold 12 pts, 4 Reb, FT 1-2; Lambert 5 pts, 6 Reb; Mitchell 3 pts, 3 Reb.
3-point field goals (8-29)
Marks (3) Dearborn (2) Arnold (1) Lambert (1) Mitchell (1)
Tucker then traveled to the southernmost part of WV to take on the two-time defending state champion, the Tug Valley Panthers. Tucker found themselves trailing 13-8 at the end of the first and only down 5 at the half, 31-26. Tug began to pull away in the third, leading by 8 points, and put Tucker away in the final period, going on a 14-2 run to end the game with a final score of 63-43. Junior Cayden Arnold led the Mt. Lions with 16 points. The Mt. Lions will return home on Tuesday, the 24th for a senior night matchup with Tygarts Valley.