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Harrison fends off Martins Ferry, 61-53

T-L Photo/KIM NORTH MARTINS FERRY’S Logan Smith (15) finds himself surrounded by Harrison Central’s Jonathan Vermillion (10), Cabot Arbaugh (33) and Kobe Mitchell during Friday night’s game in Cadiz. The Huskies won, 61-53, to earn a season sweep.

CADIZ — It might be coach-speak, but a win is a win is a win. No matter how it comes.

For the second time in 10 days, Harrison Central posted a boys basketball victory over Martins Ferry. Friday night in Harrison County, the Huskies (6-3) recorded a wire-to-wire, 61-53, nod over the visiting Purple Riders.

Harrison Central doesn’t have much time to reflect on the win as it is back in action tonight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland when it meet Olmstead Falls at 7. Martins Ferry (2-6) hosts Bellaire on Tuesday.

“We didn’t finish them off but they made some shots,” Harrison Central head coach Justin Clifford said while shaking his head. “It’s always good to have more points than your opponent.”

The Huskies spurted to an 8-0 lead before the Purple Riders got on the board. The visitors misfired on their first four shots from the floor and charted five turnovers as the hosts led 12-2 after one quarter.

Martins Ferry warmed up in the second quarter as Zach Flesch knocked down three treys early in the second quarter and classmate Peyton Hores worked the paint for four points. A Flesch three from the right wing drew even at 15 and the rivals were deadlocked at 17 before Harrison Central reeled off 10 of the final 12 points of the half for a 27-19 advantage.

“They went on a run there and we weren’t able to stop it. Basketball is a game of runs and they were able to make get out in transition and make some shots,” Martins Ferry head coach Derek Edwards said of the late second quarter surge. “They are so dangerous in transition, but our turnovers led to a lot of their points. That was our focus going in. That’s what happened when we played them a couple of weeks ago but we weren’t able to execute that and take care of the ball better. We have to work on that because we showed signs.”

Harrison Central once again netted the first eight points of the third quarter as the margin ballooned to 35-19.

Akron signee Kobe Mitchell tallied nine of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter as the Huskies held a seemingly comfortable, 43-26, lead entering the fourth panel.

After making just 10 of 35 shots from the floor through the first three quarters, the Purple Riders ignited for 27 points in the fourth quarter as Flesch and Davian Ray evenly divided half-a-dozen bonus goals. However, the couldn’t get any closer than seven.

Flesch finished with a career-high 20 points, which included six triples. Ray added 16 and Logan Smith nine. Hores had eight. Ray and Hores had seven rebounds each.

Martins Ferry played all but four minutes without the services of Jazien Miles. The 6-4 junior sustained an injury with 4:44 left in the first quarter. He watched the remainder of the contest from the bench.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of our team for their effort and how hard they played,” Edwards continued. “They kept scratching and clawing. When Miles went out in the first quarter we could’ve put our tails between our legs and stopped, but we didn’t. We kept fighting. That’s something you can build on. we’ve got a long way to go but we’re not done. We’re going to keep working.”

In addition to Mitchell’s 26 points, the all-Ohioan grabbed seven rebounds, blocked a like number of shots, charted four steals and handed out two assists. He is now 21 points shy of the coveted 2,000-point mark.

Jonathan Vermillion recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Cabot Arbaugh added nine points.

“We need everyone to play well,” Clifford noted. “When those other guys step up, we’re a pretty good team. Every day we just need to get a little better and keep going at it.”

Martins Ferry had 17 turnovers, nine more than Harrison Central. Twelve of those Purple Riders miscues came in the first and third quarters when they combined for a mere nine points.

Harrison Central 61, Martins Ferry 53

MARTINS FERRY (53) — Miles 0 0-0 0; Smith 4 1-2 9; Ray 5 2-2 16; Flesch 7 0-0 20; P. Hores 4 0-0 8; Shriver 0 0-0 0; Bennett 0 0-0 0; Totals: 20-43 3-4. HARRISON CENTRAL (61) — Mitchell 11 3-4 26; Mazeroski 0 3-4 3; Vermillion 5 2-6 12; Arbaugh 3 3-4 9; Santille 3 0-1 6; Cassidy 1 2-2 4; Totals: 23-53 13-21

3-Point Goals: Martins Ferry 10 (Flesch 6, Ray 4). Harrison Central 2 (Mitchell, Cassidy)

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