The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Golden Tornado rebound from loss with 64-49 win
* Keyser outrebounds visiting Mountain Ridge, 50-30
* Rebound leaders: Hartman 15, Fertig 12, Washington 8, LaRue 7
* Golden Tornado lead by as many as 18 early in 4th quarter

By The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
NEW CREEK, W.Va., Dec. 21 - On Tuesday night, Keyser didn't look much like a team that had lost by nine points to Southern Garrett six days ago.

And senior Dustin Fertig didn't look like a senior who had been held without a single point. Against visiting Mountain Ridge, the No. 5 Golden Tornado controlled the game - and far more importantly, the tempo - from the start en route to a 64-49 win in Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference action in New Creek.

Fertig finished with 18 points, including three 3-pointers, and added 12 rebounds and five steals to his all-around standout performance.

Fertig admitted that he and his teammates were "pretty upset" after suffering their first loss of the season to Southern Garrett. More improbable than the loss, however, was losing control of the flow of the game in the 45-36 defeat.

"Finally, those guys realized we just can't show up and go through the motions," Keyser coach Gary Liston said. "In pre-game, I just said, 'we got nothing really to talk about. Let's just go play. Instead of running basketball plays, let's go play basketball.'"

Fertig started playing ball quickly on Tuesday. Cody Sindy had put No. 8 Mountain Ridge up 2-0 but Fertig responded with his first of three 3-pointers just 22 seconds later.

Senior Peyton Hartman came through the first of the first period. The Miners took a 7-5 lead on the strength of a 3-pointer by Montana Bradley - who scored just three more points in the final 29 minutes and 52 seconds of the game - and a jumper by Cody Malone.

Hartman had given Keyser a 5-2 lead early, then pulled the Golden Tornado within 9-8 with 4:20 left in the first period when he hit the first of two free throws. Damon Thorne hit successive field goals 18 seconds apart to give Keyser a 12-9 lead.

Keyser never looked back. Liston said Hartman, who scored 21 points eight days ago in a 61-54 win against Fort Hill, is a key ingredient to his team's formula for success. But with Fertig hot, Hartman could lay low for one evening.

"We obviously need (hartman) to score," Liston said. "We need him to score insdie as well as outside. But with Fertig hitting some of those early shots, that took a little bit of pressure off Peyton."

Keyser led 15-14 after one quarter of play. Wes Washington hit the first two of his four foul shots on the night - he finished with 12 points - to put the Golden Tornado up 17-14. Hartman then tipped in a missed field goal for a 19-14 lead and, with 5:27 to go in the first half, hit two free throws for a 21-14 lead.

Fertig hit his second of three 3-pointers about 30 seconds later - giving Keyser a comfortable 24-14 advantage.

Fertig then hit one of two free throws to begin an 8-0 run that put the home team up 32-17. Fertig and his teammates enjoyed a 36-23 lead at halftime.

Keyser led 40-25 less than three minutes into the third quarter but Mountain Ridge went on a 7-0 run to pull within eight with 3:09 to go. That was too close for Liston, who called for a timeout to remind his team of its mission.

Fertig responded, hitting another 3-point shot from the top of the key just 24 seconds after the timeout.