ADVERTISEMENT

Mathews vs. Riverheads @ Stuart's Draft

Feb 21, 2017
84
33
18
HERE WE GO!!!!
1st Mathews 9 Riverheads 13
Mathews with 6 unforced turnovers
C. Thomas on the bench with two fouls for eight minutes in the second half.

Halftime Mathews 25 Riverheads 32
Riverheads had a 13 pt lead midway if the 2nd.

After 3 Mathews 40 Riverheads 42

FINAL!!!!! BLUE DEVILS 59 - 56

2:01 to go MHS 53-50

FINAL...Mathews 59 Riverheads 56
 
Last edited:
Is this considered a pretty big upset? I thought Riverheads was a title contender but I know nothing about Mathews
 
This was a classic case of "it ain't over until it's over", considering that the Gladiators had a 15-point lead midway through the second quarter and Mathews looked totally lost. But the return of Caleb Thomas (from early foul trouble) made all the difference in the world, and the Devils just steadily crept back into the game and outhustled RHS for about the last quarter and a half.

Thomas picked up two fouls within the first two minutes of the game and RHS quickly took advantage, jumping out to an early 8-2 lead behind four points from Grant Painter and two each from Ryan Farris and Elijah Dunlap. An Adam Painter three late in the quarter put the "home away from home team" up 13-9 after one.

Deacon Moore opened the second quarter with five quick points, including a rare triple from the left corner. Mathews managed only four points before Grant Painter buried a pair of identical triples from NBA range to give RHS a 24-13 lead. They stretched it to its largest at 28-13, before Mathews started its comeback.

They trimmed the lead down to five at 30-25 before Farris gave RHS a 7 point advantage with a pair of foul shots with only .3 on the clock. Despite the Big Red lead, you had the feeling that Big Mo had switched sides.

Mathews continued its climb back into the game but Riverheads was able to hold them at bay through the third quarter and the early part of the fourth. Mathews tied it at 36 and again at 40 but Riverheads edged back ahead at 44-40. A James Hunley three from the right corner gave Mathews its first lead at 45-44 with about six minutes left but Dunlap answered it with one of his own to put RHS back on top 47-45.

That would turn out to be the last lead of the night for the Big Red as Mathews scored six in a row to move in front 51-47. Just when it looked like the visitors might actually run away with it, a wild sequence fired up the Gladiator crowd and got them right back in it.

Mathews drove in aggressively for a basket that momentarily appeared to put them up by 6 but the refs waved it off on a charge call. Riverheads then caught them napping on a home run ball to Grant Painter that he hauled in just over the defender and took it in for an old-fashioned three. So in a matter of seconds, a potential 53-47 Mathews lead was instead whittled down to only 51-50.

From that point on, the Gladiators just could not get the bucket or stop they needed to re-take the lead, although Moore and Dunlap each made sensational blocks down the stretch to stop wide-open baskets that might have padded the lead. Mathews was then able to salt it away at the foul line, including going a perfect four for four in the final minute of the game. Even so, Riverheads had possession for the final 9 seconds with a chance to tie it with a triple but the Devils played solid defense and kept them from getting off a decent shot.

The worst luck the Gladiators had tonight was at the rim as four different times in the second half, they worked the ball in for a lay-up from the left side. All four times they were off balance "just enough" that the shot rimmed out. Would any or maybe all of those four have justified a foul call? Wellll maybe but I have to admit that I thought the officials tonight were pretty decent, compared to some we have seen this year. Presumably they were from out of the area since none of them looked familiar.

To summarize, definitely the return of Thomas gave Mathews the emotional lift they needed. But in terms of Xs and Os, they also cut down on their turnovers in the second half and they took the three away from the Gladiators as Dunlap's was the only one the Big Red canned in the second half after they hit four in the first.

So once again Region A has stepped up and shown its dominance over B in basketball, although the opposite turned out to be true for the ladies as Surry and Riverheads each prevailed tonight to set up a re-match of their Region B title game, which will be Tuesday night, presumably at Sussex.

The Riverheads boys were led tonight by Grant Painter with 23. I believe he finishes his career as either the second or third highest scorer in school history. Dunlap and Moore were next in line with 9 and 7, followed by Adam Painter with 5. Zack Adams came off the bench in the second half to score 4 and Ty Morris (likely the Gladiators' starting center next year) had a nice inside bucket to round out the scoring. RHS finishes its season at 14-9.

Losing four senior starters may make Coach Coffey's job challenging next year but we had an above average JV team with some decent size this year, plus Farris and Adam Painter will be back. I would not exactly consider the cupboard "bare" at Riverheads for next year, just "different" after watching the same four guys for four years.

Best of luck to the two Region A teams and of course one of them is guaranteed to make it to Thursday night's final at VCU. I guess Colonial Beach has to be considered a favorite now but I would not mind seeing Eastside win it all this year, after coming in second the last two years. And of course Riverheads fans are hoping our girls can finally solve the Surry puzzle on Tuesday night and punch their own ticket to Richmond.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigWinners
Eastside has a BRUTAL task tomorrow with Auburn, but if they can snatch that W, they have a shot
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike777VSP
ADVERTISEMENT