The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Northern Garrett completes sweep of Miners for first time in school history
* Mountain Ridge outscored 21-3 in fourth quarter

By Kevin Spradlin
The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
FROSTBURG, Feb. 18 - Northern Garrett was assessed a team technical foul before tipoff on Friday night against Mountain Ridge when Cody Humberson was listed in the team scorebook as wearing jersey No. 23 instead of No. 50.

Before even one second had ticked off the game clock, Tyler Whitaker hit the first of two free throws for a 1-0 Miners lead. But Humberson, one of two big men for the Huskies, did everything he could to offset that point. Scroll down for the rest of the story.

If the bonus point made it seem as if things might not go Northern's way on Friday, then the fact the Miners scored six of the next eight points hammered that point home.

Cody Sindy, one of two Mountain Ridge players being recognized on the home team's senior night, made a layup just 20 seconds into the first period and Braden Ishler completed a sick pass to Montana Bradley for another bucket and a 5-2 lead.

Whitaker scored his first field goal of the game with 4:36 to play. Just as in wins over former top-ranked teams Southern Garrett (twice) and Bishop Walsh, it looked as if Mountain Ridge was on a roll.

Then the Miners disappeared. Star point guard Matt Gibson hit a 3-pointer for the Huskies only 24 seconds after Whitaker's bucket and Humberson tied it 7-7 with a bucket with 3:43 to play in the first period.

And Northern Garrett wasn't done. Steven Holtschneider hit a momentum-shifting 3-pointer less than a minute later and Humberson took a Gibson pass to the basket for two points, was fouled and nailed the free throw to complete the three-point play.

Northern Garrett 13, Mountain Ridge 7.

Bradley hit two foul shots to close out the first period scoring to pull the Miners within 13-9. Still, Mountain Ridge wasn't heard from much over the first three-plus minutes of action in the second quarter. During that span, the Huskies went on an 8-4 - including two more free throws by Humberson - and a fast break layup by Tyler Wilt for a 21-13 lead.

Then the Miners reappeared. Mountain Ridge scored the quarter's final six points - four of them by Whitaker - to cut the deficit to only two points as the two teams headed for their locker rooms.

Huskies 21, Miners 19 - halftime

If the Mountain Ridge squad disappeared for a time in the first half, the Miners left the gym in the second half.

Whitaker hit a quick bucket early in the second to tie the score 21-21 but Gibson caught fire and scored seven of the game's next nine points - sandwiched between two Whitaker free throws - to give the Huskies a 30-23 lead.

Northern led 30-25 after three quarters and the six points the Miners were limited to in the last eight minutes appeared to be an aberration. Instead, it turned out to be good - and the fourth was bad.

Host Mountain Ridge, in its last regular season contest this season, hit just one field goal in the final quarter while Northern Garrett rolled. Gibson, the area's leading scorer and a Player of the Year contender, opened the floodgates with a 3-pointer. Holtschneider followed up with a basket closer to the net for a 35-25 lead; the Huskies' largest of the day.

Sindy banked in a shot off the glass 65 seconds into the final period but, 28 seconds later, missed two free throws. It was that kind of night for Mountain Ridge.

Gibson drove inside for a layup and a 37-27 Northern lead. Humberson nailed a field goal and, fouled, completed his second three-point play of the game for a 13-point advantage with 5:07 to play. Humberson hit two more free throws 28 seconds later for a 42-27 lead and Holtschneider hit four free throws to put the Huskies up by 19 points.

With Northern nursing a 48-28 lead with 23.7 seconds to go, the Huskies looked to run out the clock but reserve Brody Fike capped the night with a 3-pointer - his only field goal of the game.