PEARISBURG — Radford’s Quinton Morton-Robertson reached a career milestone and sparked a Bobcats rally all in one shot on Wednesday night.
Morton-Robertson surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his high school career as he led Radford with 32 points in a 74-54 Three Rivers District victory over host Giles.
With Radford (10-0, 3-0) holding a 23-18 lead Morton-Robertson sank a 3-pointer with 1:23 left in the second quarter to reach the milestone. The basket also started a 7-0 run to end the half that gave the Bobcats a 30-18 halftime lead.
“After that shot went in, we went on a run and everybody was like ‘let’s finish this thing,’ ” Morton-Robertson said.
Radford carried the momentum into the third quarter by outscoring the Spartans 29-18, which included a 13-4 run to start the period. Morton-Robertson scored eight of his game-high 32 points in the third.
Morton-Robertson’s performance during th e stretch didn’t surprise his head coach.
“He knows when it’s time,” Radford coach Rick Cormany said. “That’s just how he is. He’s a special player.”
Cormany added that reaching 1,000 points wasn’t as admirable as how Morton-Robertson got to the mark.
“What impresses me is that it was such an unselfish 1,000 points,” Cormany said. “He’s always looking to distribute, but he knows when he needs to get more involved. He got it in the right way and it could not have happened to a classier young man.”
Forward Kam Edwards also had 20 points for the Bobcats.
Radford got a scare just two minutes into the contest, when forward Miles Jones went down while clutching his left leg after attempting a layup. The junior eventually walked to the bench, but after playing periodically the remainder of the first half, Jones was taken out of the game.
After ward Cormany said the injury was to Jones’ left knee, but the initial diagnosis was just a strained tendon and not believed to be serious. Jones, however, is expected to undergo additional tests.
Giles (6-7, 1-2) kept the game close in the minutes following Jones’ injury. The Spartans trailed 4-0 at the time Jones went down and remained within five before Morton-Robertson’s milestone shot fell one quarter later.
“Morton-Robertson absolutely sparked them,” Giles coach Seth Davis said. “He had a couple of big 3s and they pulled away. Then I think in the third quarter they kind of broke our spirit.”
Cole Meadows had 23 points to lead a Spartans team that was playing for the second straight night, coming off a loss to Carroll County on Tuesday.
“You definitely don’t want to play a team like Radford on the back end of a back-to-back,” Davis said.
Radford 74, Giles 54
RADFORD (10-0, 3-0)
Prioleau 3 0-0 6, Jones 1 0-0 2, Edwards 8 0-0 20, Morton-Robertson 13 1-1 32, Cormany 2 2-2 8, Phillips 2 0-0 4, Wood 1 0-0 2. Totals 30 3-3 74.
GILES (6-7, 1-2)
Weddle 3 0-0 7, Wilson 4 2-4 10, Meadows 10 2-2 23, Beidleman 1 0-0 2, Ma. Shelor 3 0-0 7, Hagee 1 0-0 2, Mi. Shelor 1 0-0 3. Totals 23 4-6 54.
Radford;15;15;29;15;—;74
Giles;8;10;18;18;—;54
3-point goals — Radford 11 (Morton-Robertson 5, Edwards 4, Cormany 2), Giles 4 (Weddle, Meadows, Ma. Shelor, Mi. Shelor). Total Fouls — Radford 6, Giles 7. Fouled Out — None.
JV — Radford won.
Morton-Robertson surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his high school career as he led Radford with 32 points in a 74-54 Three Rivers District victory over host Giles.
With Radford (10-0, 3-0) holding a 23-18 lead Morton-Robertson sank a 3-pointer with 1:23 left in the second quarter to reach the milestone. The basket also started a 7-0 run to end the half that gave the Bobcats a 30-18 halftime lead.
“After that shot went in, we went on a run and everybody was like ‘let’s finish this thing,’ ” Morton-Robertson said.
Radford carried the momentum into the third quarter by outscoring the Spartans 29-18, which included a 13-4 run to start the period. Morton-Robertson scored eight of his game-high 32 points in the third.
Morton-Robertson’s performance during th e stretch didn’t surprise his head coach.
“He knows when it’s time,” Radford coach Rick Cormany said. “That’s just how he is. He’s a special player.”
Cormany added that reaching 1,000 points wasn’t as admirable as how Morton-Robertson got to the mark.
“What impresses me is that it was such an unselfish 1,000 points,” Cormany said. “He’s always looking to distribute, but he knows when he needs to get more involved. He got it in the right way and it could not have happened to a classier young man.”
Forward Kam Edwards also had 20 points for the Bobcats.
Radford got a scare just two minutes into the contest, when forward Miles Jones went down while clutching his left leg after attempting a layup. The junior eventually walked to the bench, but after playing periodically the remainder of the first half, Jones was taken out of the game.
After ward Cormany said the injury was to Jones’ left knee, but the initial diagnosis was just a strained tendon and not believed to be serious. Jones, however, is expected to undergo additional tests.
Giles (6-7, 1-2) kept the game close in the minutes following Jones’ injury. The Spartans trailed 4-0 at the time Jones went down and remained within five before Morton-Robertson’s milestone shot fell one quarter later.
“Morton-Robertson absolutely sparked them,” Giles coach Seth Davis said. “He had a couple of big 3s and they pulled away. Then I think in the third quarter they kind of broke our spirit.”
Cole Meadows had 23 points to lead a Spartans team that was playing for the second straight night, coming off a loss to Carroll County on Tuesday.
“You definitely don’t want to play a team like Radford on the back end of a back-to-back,” Davis said.
Radford 74, Giles 54
RADFORD (10-0, 3-0)
Prioleau 3 0-0 6, Jones 1 0-0 2, Edwards 8 0-0 20, Morton-Robertson 13 1-1 32, Cormany 2 2-2 8, Phillips 2 0-0 4, Wood 1 0-0 2. Totals 30 3-3 74.
GILES (6-7, 1-2)
Weddle 3 0-0 7, Wilson 4 2-4 10, Meadows 10 2-2 23, Beidleman 1 0-0 2, Ma. Shelor 3 0-0 7, Hagee 1 0-0 2, Mi. Shelor 1 0-0 3. Totals 23 4-6 54.
Radford;15;15;29;15;—;74
Giles;8;10;18;18;—;54
3-point goals — Radford 11 (Morton-Robertson 5, Edwards 4, Cormany 2), Giles 4 (Weddle, Meadows, Ma. Shelor, Mi. Shelor). Total Fouls — Radford 6, Giles 7. Fouled Out — None.
JV — Radford won.
