The Fighting Blues hit visiting Riverheads with a 17-0 scoring spurt straddling the first and second quarters tonight and rolled to a somewhat surprising 66-44 non-district win. PM only had a 2-5 record coming into the game and of course were playing their first season without the gigantic Spencer Hamilton, but with cat-quick guard Evan Cook running the offense and picking quite a few RHS pockets on defense, and with football stud John Snider muscling his way inside at will, the Gladiators just did not have the answer, despite having some "spurts" of their own.
In fact it was Riverheads that delivered the first punch as Gabe Milo reeled off the first nine points for the Big Red and staked the visitors to an early 13-6 lead with half the first quarter still left to play. He knocked down a triple and hit three other baskets as the scoreboard at one point read Milo-9, Blues-3. (Well it didn't really SAY that, but you get my drift!)
But someone flipped a switch, the Blues started getting into the passing lanes, and in what seemed like record time, PM was on top 23-13. When Milo finally broke the drought with his 11th point, and sharpshooter Will Gardner followed with a three to cut it to 23-18, it looked momentarily as if the Gladiators had weathered the storm and might get back in the game. However the Blues closed on a 10-3 surge to take a 33-21 lead into the locker room.
Things then went from bad to worse for Riverheads as PM hit them with another 12-0 burst to open the second half. However, to their credit the Big Red did not lay down and die as the Extended Dunlap Family Connection (Uncle Bennett and Nephew Henley) caught fire and delivered four triples between them as RHS cut the deficit to a potentially manageable 50-38 at the end of three.
However any thoughts of a Big Red comeback were quickly dashed as PM opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run and coasted to the victory. The two teams however have not seen the last of one another as they will meet around 8:00 Friday night in Game Four of the first-ever Riverheads Quadruple Header. The Blues will provide the opposition in all four games as the JV girls will open play at 2:00, followed in order by the JV boys around 4:00, the Varsity girls at 6, and the Varsity boys in the nightcap. PM has gone 3-1 against Riverheads on its home court, so the Gladiators would like nothing better than to do at least that well at home Friday to even the season.
Which gives you the clue that Riverheads did manage to win the JV game tonight. After a nip and tuck first half saw RHS take an 18-17 lead into the locker room, they settled the issue with a third-quarter burst and coasted from there to a 47-38 victory. The RHS juniors are now 3-1 on the season.
Although Friday's re-matches sound like they are close enough, all four Riverheads teams have other games prior to the quadruple header. The Lady Gladiators are hosting Covington Wednesday night and the boys travel to Bath County on Thursday. Both those are make up dates from games that were "iced out." On paper there would appear to be some RHS wins in those games to build up the Big Red confidence for the PM re-matches not to mention district play resuming Tuesday.
In fact it was Riverheads that delivered the first punch as Gabe Milo reeled off the first nine points for the Big Red and staked the visitors to an early 13-6 lead with half the first quarter still left to play. He knocked down a triple and hit three other baskets as the scoreboard at one point read Milo-9, Blues-3. (Well it didn't really SAY that, but you get my drift!)
But someone flipped a switch, the Blues started getting into the passing lanes, and in what seemed like record time, PM was on top 23-13. When Milo finally broke the drought with his 11th point, and sharpshooter Will Gardner followed with a three to cut it to 23-18, it looked momentarily as if the Gladiators had weathered the storm and might get back in the game. However the Blues closed on a 10-3 surge to take a 33-21 lead into the locker room.
Things then went from bad to worse for Riverheads as PM hit them with another 12-0 burst to open the second half. However, to their credit the Big Red did not lay down and die as the Extended Dunlap Family Connection (Uncle Bennett and Nephew Henley) caught fire and delivered four triples between them as RHS cut the deficit to a potentially manageable 50-38 at the end of three.
However any thoughts of a Big Red comeback were quickly dashed as PM opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run and coasted to the victory. The two teams however have not seen the last of one another as they will meet around 8:00 Friday night in Game Four of the first-ever Riverheads Quadruple Header. The Blues will provide the opposition in all four games as the JV girls will open play at 2:00, followed in order by the JV boys around 4:00, the Varsity girls at 6, and the Varsity boys in the nightcap. PM has gone 3-1 against Riverheads on its home court, so the Gladiators would like nothing better than to do at least that well at home Friday to even the season.
Which gives you the clue that Riverheads did manage to win the JV game tonight. After a nip and tuck first half saw RHS take an 18-17 lead into the locker room, they settled the issue with a third-quarter burst and coasted from there to a 47-38 victory. The RHS juniors are now 3-1 on the season.
Although Friday's re-matches sound like they are close enough, all four Riverheads teams have other games prior to the quadruple header. The Lady Gladiators are hosting Covington Wednesday night and the boys travel to Bath County on Thursday. Both those are make up dates from games that were "iced out." On paper there would appear to be some RHS wins in those games to build up the Big Red confidence for the PM re-matches not to mention district play resuming Tuesday.
