Local high school basketball teams were in action Tuesday night, delivering a mix of tight contests and standout individual performances.
The night was highlighted by boys basketball action, as the Tigers of West Liberty-Salem got a road win against Bellefontaine.
VARSITY — West Liberty-Salem 59, Bellefontaine 48
The West Liberty-Salem boys basketball team used a strong second-half defensive effort to pull away for a 59–48 victory over Bellefontaine, improving to 5–2 overall and 4–1 in the OHC.
The Tigers trailed by as many as 11 points in the second quarter and went into halftime down 27–22.
West Liberty-Salem turned up the physicality on the defensive end after the break, slowing the Chieftains’ offense and creating scoring opportunities in transition.
The Tigers pulled away in the fourth quarter as Bellefontaine went cold from the field.
West Liberty-Salem placed four players in double figures, led by Troy Christison and Brandel Sullivan with 15 points apiece.
Brevin Louden and Sutton Wilcoxon each added 12 points in the balanced scoring effort.
Bellefontaine was led by Jair Mundy with 14 points, while Grayson Lotts and CJ Butler each finished with 13.
Tiger head coach Darren Leichty and senior Brevin Louden talk about the team’s performance in the win.
The full replay of the game is available for FREE HERE on PeakofOhioTV and Roku.
JVA — West Liberty-Salem 61, Bellefontaine 51
The West Liberty-Salem JVA squad continued its strong season with a 61–51 win, improving to 6–1.
Josiah Johnson led the Tigers with 19 points, followed by Casey Boyer with 17.
Connor Leichty chipped in 9 points, while Asher Cole added 6.
Liam Barger and Colton Neeld each scored 4, and Tucker Searles finished with 2.
JVB — Bellefontaine 44, West Liberty-Salem 35
In JVB action, West Liberty-Salem fell to Bellefontaine 44–35, moving to 1–2 on the season.
Eli Jones led the Tigers with 14 points, while Austin Markin added 10.
Tyler Hershberger scored 6, Rylan Leichty had 3, and Elijah Filio rounded out the scoring with 2.
Riverside Girls Fall to Hardin Northern
The Riverside Lady Pirates were defeated by Hardin Northern, 50–35, on Tuesday night.
The game stayed competitive early, with Hardin Northern holding a slim 10–8 edge after the first quarter.
The Lady Pirates continued to battle in the second, trailing just 22–18 at halftime.
Hardin Northern pulled away in the second half, leading 37–30 after three quarters before securing the win.
Kenzie Stotler led Riverside in scoring with 13 points.
With the loss, the Lady Pirates drop to 3–7 on the season.
West Liberty-Salem 8th Grade Boys Fall to Greenon
The West Liberty-Salem eighth-grade boys dropped a 48–35 decision to Greenon on Tuesday.
Greenon used balanced scoring to control the game, while WL-S stayed within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap.
West Liberty-Salem Scoring:
Liam Harrington: 18 points
Fairchild: 5 points
King: 4 points
Estes: 3 points
Bahan: 3 points
Wallace: 2 points
West Liberty-Salem now stands at 5–1 on the season.
The Tigers will return to action Monday, Jan. 5, on the road at Cedarville, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
West Liberty-Salem 7th Grade Boys Also Lose to Greenon
The 7th-grade Tigers also suffered a 32–20 loss to Greenon in another home matchup.
Despite the loss, several Tigers contributed across the stat sheet, including scoring and rebounding efforts.
West Liberty-Salem Stats:
Greyson Leichty: 6 points, 4 rebounds
Nathan Deitrick: 5 points, 4 rebounds
Colten Christison: 2 points, 1 rebound
Griffin Christison: 2 points, 1 rebound
Miles Wright: 2 points, 1 rebound
Robinson Lucas: 2 points
Caizen Anders: 1 point, 4 rebounds
Harrison Sutherin: 5 rebounds
Bentley Deam: 2 rebounds
Michael Beard: 1 rebound
Carter Underwood: 1 rebound
West Liberty-Salem’s record moves to 3–3. The Tigers will next play on January 5 at Cedarville.
