The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Campers oust Huskies in
boys' 1A West sectional
* Allegany led by 3 early in fourth, pull away on 11-2 run
* Campers outrebound Huskies, 41-21
* NG point guard Gibson sat first quarter for 'team violation'

By Kevin Spradlin
The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
CUMBERLAND, Feb. 25 -- For the Northern Garrett boys basketball team, the Class 1A West Region western sectional loss to Allegany was less than memorable.

For the Campers, it was less than inspiring. Still, host Allegany managed to do just enough to fend off the Huskies in a 72-60 win on Friday in Cumberland. The Campers benefited from strong post play from junior Tylor Jessie and senior Aaron Murphy, who got into foul trouble too late in the game to do the Huskies any good. Murphy and Jessie finished with 13 rebounds apiece as Allegany outrebounded Northern Garrett, 41-21. For the Huskies, there were simply too many second- and third-chance points by Allegany to overcome.

With the win, Allegany - which holds the No. 2 seed in the West Region western section, earns another game on Monday against third-seeded Fort Hill. The Sentinels beat the Miners on Friday, 61-43, in Cumberland.

Allegany led 28-18 with 3:14 to go before halftime but Huskies senior Matt Gibson, who sat the entire first quarter due to a "team violation," started to get involved in the game. He took his first shot with 3:00 to go - a 3-point attempt - but his ball handling made a big difference for Northern.

Gibson's first attempt missed, but Steven Holtschneider's didn't and Northern pulled within 28-21. Gibson made the next basket with 1:40 left, a two-point field goal to make it a five-piont game. After another miss from inside the arc, Gibson nailed his first 3-pointer with three seconds before the half to pull the Huskies within 28-26.

"We're right where I wanted us to be," Huskies first-year head coach Chris Elliott said.

Elliott said the team was able to absorb Gibson's first-quarter absence. And Gibson opened the third period in fine fashion, hitting a field gaol to tie the game 28-28.

But Allegany started to pull away with a 7-0 run. The Campers didn't make every shot, but they outrebounded the Huskies 41-21 for the game and had plenty of second- and third-chance opportunities. Tylor Jessie and Aaron Murphy each had 13 rebounds to lead Allegany.

Garrett Rayner's bucket pulled Norhtern within 35-30 and the teams traded baskets until the midway point of the third quarter. Then, Murphy three of four free throws in a 35-second span and Hunter Marrale and Jake Shade each had a field goal to left the Campers to a 44-35 lead.

Northern responded, however, Rayner had a 2-pointer and both Gibson and Tyler Wilt made good on their field goal attempts. It was a three-point game again, this time 44-41 advantage Allegany with 1:48 left in the third period.

Patrick Sines hit two free throws for the Huskies to make it a game, 44-43. Allegany's Drew O'Neal hit a big 3-pointer nine seconds after that to open the game a bit but Rayner hit one of two free throws and Gibson drove through traffic for a layup with 10 seconds left in the period once again make it a one-point game, 47-46.

After another Shade layup, Cody Humberson hit both foul shots to make it a one-point game just 23 seconds into the fourth quarter. Shade hit two free throws and, for the fourth time, the Huskies cut the deficit to just one point on a layup by Sines.

That was the closest they'd get.

Murphy made good on another second-chance basket underneath Allegany's net for a 53-50 lead and Jessie did the same thing 49 seconds later for a 55-50 Allegany lead. Rayner hit a bucket with 5:08 to play to pull within 55-52 but momentum shifted - for good - when Murphy hit the second of two free throw attempts and Shade hit two jumpers and a foul shot attempt to open the Campers' lead to nine points.

Brady Ellsworth, who finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, scored the next six points for the Campers to open the lead to 13 points, 67-54.

Ellsworth, Elliott said, wasn't even on Northern's radar screen to defend.

"If you scout them, you don't worry about him," said Elliott, noting the attention was put on Shade and Murphy.