MARTINS FERRY — The heart of a champion.

Monroe Central, the reigning OHSAA D-VI state kingpins, exhibited once again what it takes to be champions Tuesday night at Tolbert Gymnasium. The Seminoles found themselves trailing Martins Ferry by 14 points (45-31) with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.

Coach Mason Lang’s charges, however, displayed a large dose of resolve over the final 12 minutes to overcome a quality effort by the Purple Riders.

As a result, Monroe Central improved to 17-4. Three of the losses have been delivered by unbeaten Wheeling Central, the latest coming Saturday in the OVAC 3A championship game. The Seminoles close out regular-season play Thursday at Barnesville.

“In the first half we didn’t play with a lot of energy,” Lang noted. “We didn’t play up to the standard we have come to expect. So we had a nice talk at halftime.

“I was really pleased with how we responded in the second half,” he added. “We showed a lot of resiliency and character, especially after we got down by 14. It was a nice win against a very good team.”

The loss ended Martins Ferry’s regular season at 14-8. The Purple Riders are now idle until they launch OHSAA Division V Tournament play. The Purple Riders are third-seeded and will host 14th-seeded Garaway on Feb. 28.

Ferry played exceptionally for two-plus quarters.

After the teams battled to a 15-15 standoff after one quarter, the Purple Riders, getting scoring from five players, forged a 36-26 halftime upperhand.

The Ferry lead grew to 45-31 when sophomore Walkquem Cox goaled at the 4:24 mark of the third.

Monroe Central was able to pare the deficit to 47-41 after three quarters. The Seminoles made the most of that momentum to tally the first seven points of the fourth period to grab a 48-47 lead.

The balance of the game proved nip-and-tuck.

Neither team led by more than three points until Monroe Central standout Cooper Howell goaled with 2:32 to play, giving the visitors a 58-54 edge. After a Ferry misfire, Monroe Central’s Hunter Habig delivered a bucket with 2:09 showing, stretching the lead to six.

Ferry didn’t fold.

A Cox hoop was followed by an Anthony Booth steal and driving layup, drawing the Purple to within 60-58 with 1:15 to play. Monroe Central’s Max Demchak and Caedyn Silva each netted a free throw, the latter coming with 50 seconds to play, giving the Seminoles a 62-58 advantage.

Maurice Barnett produced a layup for Ferry before Silva meshed another charity toss for a 63-60 reading with 31.9 ticks remaining. Moments later, a Booth hoop brought the Purple Riders to within one.

A Ferry foul sent Monroe Central to the line with 8.1 seconds remaining. The Seminoles missed both attempts. After the second misfire, a wild scramble ensued for the loose ball which Howell finally collared. He was subsequently fouled with 0.6 ticks left. He sank both free throws to seal the verdict.

Howell was sensational. He topped all scorers with 29 points to go with 12 rebounds. Silva was his top support with 11 points.

“I think tonight opened our eyes,” Lang said. “It showed what we are capable of. But we have to play unselfishly and with togetherness. When we do that we are a really good team.”

Booth paced the Purple with 20 points while Elijah Smith and Gavin Little evenly divided 24 points. Cox added nine markers.

“We played really well for almost three quarters,” Ferry coach Derek Edwards said. “But when you play against a very good team you have to play well for 32 minutes. Monroe Central is a very good team and we did not do that.

“We missed a lot of shots that we normally make. We also did not rebound well in the second half,” he added. “It’s a tough loss but I believe the positives outweigh the negatives.”

Monroe Central is scheduled to embark on its state title defense on Feb. 27, hosting Bridgeport.