HS BASKETBALL: Blue Ridge earns important Division IV win over Forest City

Feb. 11—NEW MILFORD — JJ Rosa had reason to celebrate after leaping and swatting a shot into the bleachers that brought a mighty roar from the crowd.

Blue Ridge's senior guard had a big night offensively and defensively in his team's most important game of the season. He scored 21 points, had seven rebounds, blocked three shots and converted four free throws in the fourth quarter as the Raiders avenged an earlier loss to No. 10 Forest City, 63-57, in a fast-paced boys basketball game Friday night.

Blue Ridge (16-3 overall, 10-1 in Division IV) drew even with the Foresters (11-8, 9-1) in the loss column in the Lackawanna Division IV standings. The Raiders have one league game remaining at Montrose on Thursday. Forest City, which plays a crossover game at Holy Cross on Saturday, closes the regular season against Montrose on Tuesday and at Elk Lake on Thursday.

"We came prepared," an elated Rosa said after the win. "Practice was tough (Thursday) coming into this game, and we knew what we had to do. We played as a team, and we never got down and just came out and competed.

"They are a really good team, and we know if we have to play them again, we will need to bring our A game."

In the rematch of the Foresters' win Jan. 17, the Raiders used a fourth-quarter push, steady free-throw shooting and an unconventional strategy late to earn their seventh straight win.

Blue Ridge's Dalton Rutter drilled an important 3-pointer midway through the fourth that cut into a quick start by Forest City, which had built a 48-44 lead.

"I just wanted to be confident in myself and wanted to help my team," Rutter said. "That felt really good. I stepped into it and knocked it down."

DJ Heath gave Forest City some momentum back with a driving layup. Blue Ridge's James Barbour countered a free throw from Davon Reams with a pair of layups, but Heath gave the Foresters a 53-51 lead.

However, Forest City dug itself into foul trouble.

Blue Ridge became more aggressive and started a parade to the free-throw line in the final 2:52. Connor Cranage, who also contributed five of his 13 rebounds in the fourth, got things going with two free throws. Forest City's Dylan Bezek also connected on two free throws.

The Raiders seized control of the home stretch with a 5-0 surge, all on free throws. Barbour had two and Rosa had one. Then, with a 56-55 lead and 2:10 remaining, Blue Ridge coach Wes Parks instructed his team to foul. Forest City missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Blue Ridge grabbed the rebound. The Foresters were forced to foul to stop the clock, and Rutter scored two free throws for a 58-53 advantage with only 1:46 left to play.

Forest City did, however, close to within 58-57 on a Heath layup after the strategy nearly backfired when Blue Ridge missed two free throws.

Relegated to fouling, Forest City sent Rosa to the line, and he made the second of two attempts for a 59-57 lead. The Foresters missed a game-tying layup, Rutter made two free throws, and Rosa secured the win with two more free throws.

"They are a well-coached team, and they know how to play and how to win," Forest City coach John Duffy said. "They have Cranage and Rosa, and they are battle-tested all year. They took over, and hats off to them.

"Hopefully we can get another shot at them and see what happens."

In the back-and-forth action throughout the first three quarters, each team had stretches of solid play.

Heath, who finished with 14 points, helped Forest City build an early 7-0 advantage. Blue Ridge came right back to score nine straight, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Carson Gallagher.

Forest City's Max Urbas got hot and scored five points, while teammate Collin Bailer had four. Cranage scored five of his 17 points, Rosa hit a pair of free throws and the teams were tied at 16 after the first.

Blue Ridge built a 29-24 lead heading to halftime as Rosa had eight points and Cranage had five.

"I knew that my team needed some buckets," said Rosa, who had 12 points in the half.

In the third, Forest City built a 35-32 advantage with an 11-3 surge in the first 3 minutes. Urbas, who had 17 points, drilled two 3-pointers, while Reams converted a three-point play and a fast break for five points.

After Blue Ridge reclaimed the lead on a basket by Rosa and an offensive rebound score by Barbour, Forest City again edged ahead, 40-36, on a free throw from Urbas, a basket by Heath and a jumper by Bezek, who also dominated inside with 18 rebounds and seven blocked shots.

Forest City had a chance to extend the lead, but Rutter made a steal and layup. Rosa and Cranage each made 3-pointers that countered baskets by Bezek and Urbas, locked up the teams at 44-44 and set up the Raiders' rally in the fourth.

"We just trusted each other," Cranage said. "We have been working really hard at this. We focused on playing together. We faced adversity, and I am proud of every one of these guys because we fought really hard and played our hearts out."

Blue Ridge 63, Forest City 57

Forest City (11-8, 9-1) — M. Urbas 6 1-2 17, D. Heath 7 0-0 14, C. Bailer 4 0-0 10, D. Bezek 3 2-3 8, D. Reams 3 2-4 8, B. Bartholomay 0 0-0 0, J. Conalogue 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 5-9 57.

Blue Ridge (16-3, 10-1) — J. Rosa 5 10-12 21, C. Cranage 5 5-8 17, J. Barbour 4 2-2 10, D. Rutter 2 4-5 9, C. Gallagher 1 0-0 3, M. Thomas 1 0-0 3, G. Dibble 0 0-0 0, R. Scott 0 0-0 0, T. Higgins 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 21-27 63.

Forest City 16 8 20 13 — 57

Blue Ridge 16 13 15 19 — 63

3-point goals: M. Urbas (FC) 4, C. Bailer (FC) 2, C. Cranage (BR) 2, C. Gallagher (BR), M. Thomas (BR), J. Rosa (BR), D. Rutter (BR). JV: Forest City, 45-29 (FC: Snider 14; BR: Bishop, Dibble, 8).

Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter