      | The Rocky Grove Orioles played the part of the comeback kids Tuesday night on their way to a 59-50 win over Region 2 rivals the Saegertown Panthers. The game started off well for the Orioles who jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first 90 seconds of play. Then the Panthers took control, scoring 11 unanswered points as Rocky Grove struggled with passing errors and other turnovers. Noah Baughman buried one from behind the three-point line to finally move the total forward for Rocky Grove with two minutes left in the quarter. He connected for seven more before the buzzer on his way to 12 in the first eight minutes of play. Saegertown racked up on more unanswered buckets to start the second quarter, accumulating a 23-14 lead with six minutes to go in the half. Jamison Hughes came off the bench to grab some important rebounds including one that he put back for two to get things rolling for the Orioles offensively at the 5:19 mark. From there, the team traded baskets, as Baughman and Schiffer Anderson combined for 10 points to keep the Orioles within striking distance. Saegertown went into the locker room with a 33-26 advantage. They returned to continue the zone defense they employed through the first 16 minutes. What worked well at the start was less effective as Rocky Grove adjusted their offensive strategy. Following an early basket by the Panthers, the Orioles went on a 10-point run that included two foul shots following a technical foul by Saegertown and a pivotal rebound and then three-point basket by Haydon Bevier . The game was tied at 36 at the 3:19 mark; 40 at 1:47 and then at 42 as Anderson hit for two with less than 5 seconds in the third. The Orioles took that momentum into the fourth quarter, scoring the first 7 points of the stanza. It was enough to seal the deal down the stretch as Saegertown struggled to keep up with the pace of the game. With only 3:41 left to go, Anderson had a good look to Hughes who scored two and Rocky Grove was fully in the driver’s seat. Saegertown attempted to get back in the game by changing their defensive strategy to man to man as Rocky Grove took their time passing the ball to create open shots. But two foul shots by Anderson and lap up by Landen Carter in the final 30 seconds of the game put Rocky Grove ahead 59-50 as the buzzer sounded. Baughman had a game-high 25 points. Anderson added 14. Carter and Hughes had 6 point apiece, Conner Ritchey had 5 and Bevier had three. The Panters were led by Luke Young with 16 points. Jackson Scott and Levi Gardner each had nine points. With the win, Rocky Grove remains unbeaten at home. They are 14-2 overall and 7-0 in Region 2. They have four Region games left on their schedule. Only one team, Cochranton has a winning record. They will return to action Friday to face and return to action Friday when they take on Commodore Perry who are 3-11 overall.. |
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