LYNCHBURG — The Washington Blue Lions traveled to take on Lynchburg-Clay on Tuesday night in a non-conference basketball contest. Washington found itself trailing for the entire first quarter, before emerging with a 73-58 victory.
Heading into the second period the Blue Lions were down 21-17.
Washington trailed by as many as seven points in the second quarter but was able to battle back and tie the game at 35 going into the intermission.
Washington knocked down a three-point shot early in the third quarter to give it a 38-35 lead, its first of the evening. The Blue Lions hit three more treys and scored a total of 20 points in the third to take a 55-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
Washington outscored Lynchburg 18-12 in the final period to go home with a 73-58 victory.
Statistically for Lynchburg-Clay, Denver Clinton led the Mustangs with 21 points, followed by Ian Waits with 15, Cody Bell with 14, JJ Massey with four, Braden West with three, and Austin Bell with two.
Statistically for Washington, Lemaster led the Blue Lions with 20 points, followed by Isaiah Haithcock with 13, Raleigh Haithcock with 11, Garrett Rickman with 10, John Wall, Michael Bearden, and Brayden May with 5, and Will Miller and Gabe Tayese with two points each.
Lynchburg fell to 11-7 overall on the season.
Washington (15-4, 8-1 in the Frontier Athletic Conference) plays again on Saturday at Miami Trace (16-3, 8-1 in the FAC) at 7:30 p.m. The Blue Lions defeated the Panthers 74-53 back on Dec. 17. The winner of this game will be declared the outright FAC champions. To date, Washington and Miami Trace are the only two remaining teams in the FAC that have yet to win an FAC championship in boys basketball.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
W 17 18 20 18 — 73
L 21 14 11 12 —58
WASHINGTON — Garrett Rickman 2 (2)-0-10; John Wall 1 (1)-0-5; Michael Bearden 2-1-5; Brayden May 1 (1)-0-5; Will Miller 1-0-2; Raleigh Haithcock 1 (3)-0-11; Gabe Tayese 1-0-2; Tanner Lemaster 8 (1)-1-20; Noah Haithcock 0-0-0; Isaiah Haithcock 5 (1)-0-13. TOTALS — 22 (9)-2-73. Free throw shooting: 2 of 3 for 67 percent. Three-point field goals: R. Haithcock 3, Rickman 2, Wall, May, Lemaster, I. Haithcock. Field goal shooting: 31 of 62 for 50 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 9 of 19 for 47 percent. Turnovers: 19. Rebounds: 34 (11 offensive). Assists: 15. Steals: 12. Blocked shots: 5.
LYNCHBURG-CLAY — Landon West 0-0-0; Ian Waits 4 (1)-4-15; Denver Clinton 8 (1)-2-21; Asher Faust 0-0-0; JJ Massey 0 (1)-1-4; Cody Bell 3 (1)-5-14; Jay Cordrey 0-0-0; Austin Bell 1-0-2; Braden West 0 (1)-0-3. TOTALS — 17 (4)-12-58. Free throw shooting: 12 of 16 for 75 percent. Three-point field goals: Waits, Clinton, Massey, Bell. Turnovers: 15
In the jayvee contest, Washington won 58-49.
Tyler Flora is a reporter for the Record-Herald in Washington C.H.
