BOYS BB: R E Lee (Staunton) 61 Wilson Memorial 56 - FINAL
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Lee High hangs on for win over Wilson
Patrick Hite, Staunton News LeaderPublished 10:42 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2018 | Updated 11:11 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2018
FISHERSVILLE - Javon Battle backed off the foul line, dried his hands and took a deep breath.
His Robert E. Lee team had watched a 17-point first half lead whittled down to one in the final minute of the game. The junior calmly walked back to the line and sank two free throws to stretch the lead back to three.
From there, Lee held off the previously unbeaten Hornets for a 61-56 win in Shenandoah District boys basketball action Friday night. Lee improved to 3-0 on the season with the win.
"That was big," Lee High coach Terrell Mickens said of Battle's' free throws. "That boy, he just plays hard. He wants the ball in his hands when it matters and he came down and knocked down some clutch free throws,"
Battle led the Leemen with 16 points in the win, but maybe none bigger than those two with 35.3 seconds left. Ten seconds later, Battle hit another free throw to extend the Lee lead. Wilson never got closer than three again.
The Hornets, who were led by Matt Poole's 22 points, were down 30-13 midway through the second quarter, the result of a 18-2 run.
Lee began the second quarter by scoring the first nine points before Garrick Welch hit a bucket for Wilson. Ethan Painter answered that and then some with a 3-pointer to start another 9-0 Lee run.
But Wilson got back into the game in the third quarter. A Welch 3-pointer with 1:25 left got Wilson to within three, 45-42, before Painter hit another 3. Poole responded with a shot from behind the arc, but Lee's Keylyn Crawford buried a 3 to put his team in front 51-45 after the third quarter.
"I knew [Wilson] was going to go on a run sometime," Mickens said. "It was coming. They got hot, but we just stuck to what we came out here to do."
Robert E. Lee's Ethan Vest has the ball during a game played in Fishersville on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)
Wilson Memorial's Matt Poole takes the ball up between Robert E. Lee's Ethan Painter and Aarian Brown during a game played in Fishersville on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Mike Tripp/The News Leader
Wilson got even closer in the fourth, trailing 55-54 after a driving layup by Jacob Sears with 1:55 left in the game.
Wilson had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Emmanuel Gunter drove the lane and appeared to score, but was called for an offensive foul. That wiped the bucket out and set up Battle's two free throws that helped seal the win for the Leemen.
"I thought we fought hard," Mickens said. "We have some young boys who have got to grow up. I thought we kept battling, kept battling."
Wilson Memorial's Emmanuel Gunter has the ball during a game played in Fishersville on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Mike Tripp/The News Leader
Patrick Hite, Staunton News LeaderPublished 10:42 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2018 | Updated 11:11 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2018
FISHERSVILLE - Javon Battle backed off the foul line, dried his hands and took a deep breath.
His Robert E. Lee team had watched a 17-point first half lead whittled down to one in the final minute of the game. The junior calmly walked back to the line and sank two free throws to stretch the lead back to three.
From there, Lee held off the previously unbeaten Hornets for a 61-56 win in Shenandoah District boys basketball action Friday night. Lee improved to 3-0 on the season with the win.
"That was big," Lee High coach Terrell Mickens said of Battle's' free throws. "That boy, he just plays hard. He wants the ball in his hands when it matters and he came down and knocked down some clutch free throws,"
Battle led the Leemen with 16 points in the win, but maybe none bigger than those two with 35.3 seconds left. Ten seconds later, Battle hit another free throw to extend the Lee lead. Wilson never got closer than three again.
The Hornets, who were led by Matt Poole's 22 points, were down 30-13 midway through the second quarter, the result of a 18-2 run.
Lee began the second quarter by scoring the first nine points before Garrick Welch hit a bucket for Wilson. Ethan Painter answered that and then some with a 3-pointer to start another 9-0 Lee run.
But Wilson got back into the game in the third quarter. A Welch 3-pointer with 1:25 left got Wilson to within three, 45-42, before Painter hit another 3. Poole responded with a shot from behind the arc, but Lee's Keylyn Crawford buried a 3 to put his team in front 51-45 after the third quarter.
"I knew [Wilson] was going to go on a run sometime," Mickens said. "It was coming. They got hot, but we just stuck to what we came out here to do."
Robert E. Lee's Ethan Vest has the ball during a game played in Fishersville on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)
Wilson Memorial's Matt Poole takes the ball up between Robert E. Lee's Ethan Painter and Aarian Brown during a game played in Fishersville on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Mike Tripp/The News Leader
Wilson got even closer in the fourth, trailing 55-54 after a driving layup by Jacob Sears with 1:55 left in the game.
Wilson had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Emmanuel Gunter drove the lane and appeared to score, but was called for an offensive foul. That wiped the bucket out and set up Battle's two free throws that helped seal the win for the Leemen.
"I thought we fought hard," Mickens said. "We have some young boys who have got to grow up. I thought we kept battling, kept battling."
Wilson Memorial's Emmanuel Gunter has the ball during a game played in Fishersville on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Mike Tripp/The News Leader
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