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Quick burst carries Maysville past River View

brandon hannahs, zanesville times recorder
·4 min read

NEWTON TOWNSHIP — The Maysville surge has wiped out many opponents this season.

Visiting River View experienced it on Friday night.

Maysville's Hayden Jarrett (white) and River View's Layton Massie (black) fight for a rebound during Friday's game. The Panthers won 88-67.
Maysville's Hayden Jarrett (white) and River View's Layton Massie (black) fight for a rebound during Friday's game. The Panthers won 88-67.

The Panthers used a quick 8-0 run early in the third quarter to take control of an 88-67 victory in a Muskingum Valley League Big School clash on Senior Night.

Maysville capped off league play with a 15-1 mark in earning its first league title in 27 years. The Panthers also went 11-0 at home during the regular season and are 20-1 overall with a trip to West Holmes next Friday.

After a sporadic second quarter where the Black Bears twice pulled within five, Maysville used halftime to regroup, noted senior Connor Larimer.

"We struggled for four, five minutes in the second quarter. Our energy was down," said Larimer, who scored 11 points. "We just had to get it together. It's feels good to play in front of a packed house, and we fed off their energy."

Owen Emig opened the third with a hoop to pull the Black Bears (8-14, 4-12) within 36-27, but a three-point play by Hayden Jarrett started the Maysville spurt. A technical foul on River View led to a pair of Jarrett free throws and a 3 from Alex Bobb to extend the Panthers' lead to 44-27.

Brody Border knocked down a 3 to cut the deficit to 14 on the ensuing possession, but River View never got closer.

Jarrett followed with a hoop and Cole Roberts knocked down a corner 3 after a pair of Border free throws for a 49-32 lead that never dipped below 15 the rest of the game.

The Panthers made 11 of 15 field goals in the decisive third quarter, outscoring the Black Bears 26-16. Jarrett had seven points, Larimer and Alex Bobb scored six apiece and Roberts chipped in five in the stanza.

Maysville's Cole Roberts shoots a corner 3 during Friday's 88-67 win over River View.
Maysville's Cole Roberts shoots a corner 3 during Friday's 88-67 win over River View.

Maysville coach Dave Brown was pleased to see his team respond to adversity. He also praised the community support that has truly given the Panthers a homecourt advantage.

"We lost our energy and stopped communicating. We weren't really connected in the second quarter," Brown said. "We responded out of the half. I always tell our kids the first three minutes of the third is important, and we made that huge run.

"We have a huge homecourt advantage, and we were perfect at home in the regular season, which was one of our goals," he added. "I always tell our guys in the huddle before the game, that we need to bring the energy. We have to give them something to cheer about, and our guys did that in the second half."

Maysville gave the home crowd a reason to make noise in the first quarter. Bobb made three 3s and scored 11 of his 20 points in the opening stanza, while Jarrett had nine of his game-high 30 points, including a 6-of-6 effort at the line, in the quarter as the Panthers led 20-7 through one.

River View opened the second quarter on an 11-3 stretch, capped by a Border bucket to cut the Maysville lead to 23-18.

River View's Owen Emig tries to dribble past Maysville's Hayden Jarrett in Friday's MVL game. Emig became the program's all-time leading scorer, but the Black Bears fell 88-67.
River View's Owen Emig tries to dribble past Maysville's Hayden Jarrett in Friday's MVL game. Emig became the program's all-time leading scorer, but the Black Bears fell 88-67.

After a Jarrett 3 and a Larimer hoop, the Black Bears again responded behind Emig, who split a pair of free throws then drove the lane for a score to make it 29-24 Maysville.

But, the Panthers scored seven straight, all from the line, to take a 36-25 halftime lead. Jarrett went 6 of 6 during that stretch from the line and finished 17 of 17 on free throws on the night.

Emig tallied 20 points as a 3 in the fourth made him the all-time leading scorer for River View boys basketball, while Border added 19 points and Laired Williamson chipped in 12.

River View coach Ben Belden commended his team's effort, while recognizing the Panthers for leaning on their strengths, including in the second half.

The Black Bears are off until they open the tournament with a trip to Carrollton on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

"They're known for their spurts. They get downhill so well, move the ball and take good shots," Belden said. "Those are some of the reasons why they're such a good team. Dave is one of the district's best coaches, and his teams just make it tough on whoever they're playing.

"We'll focus on getting ready for the tournament," he added. "We're as healthy as we're going to be. Now, we'll tweak some things and put together a plan for Carrollton."

Gator Nichols made eight 3s for 24 points and Shepp Cosgrave added 11 points as Maysville reserves won 69-18, while Kade Rock had 15 points and Landon Iden 11 as Maysville freshman won 56-28.

bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Quick burst carries Maysville past River View