SHADY SPRING, W.Va. — In a game that featured six lead changes in the final three minutes, Shady Spring rallied from an 11-point third quarter deficit to defeat Bluefield 73-70 in front of a capacity crowd.
The Tigers trailed 37-26 in the opening minute of the third quarter but they slowly chipped away at the deficit before finally taking their first lead with 3:30 to play.
“They just play and they all believe,” said Shady Spring head coach Ronnie Olsen. “They don’t care who they are playing, what they are down, what the situation is, they just keep playing and grinding it out.”
Freshmen Cole and Braden Chapman combined to score 35 of Shady’s 73 points. Braden led all scorers with 22 while Cole chipped in with 13.
“They aren’t freshmen. I knew it the day they walked in the gym last year as soon as they started working out with us. They are unflappable and I am proud of them.”
Senior Tommy Williams added 18 points for the Tigers while Luke LeRose scored 13. LeRose put Shady Spring ahead for good with eleven seconds left by draining a pair of free throws, giving the Tigers a 71-70 lead.
The Tigers went 20-7 last season but were defeated by Bluefield three times.
“Our kids took that into the offseason. They wore it as a chip on their shoulders. Is it going to reflect into the postseason? Maybe not. But hopefully it does and I just love the grit and mentality of our kids.”
Four Beavers (7-3) scored in double figures. Sean Martin led Bluefield with 19 points. Braeden Crews added 16, Kaulin Parris scored 13 and Tyrese Hairston chipped in with a dozen. Bluefield will host Shady Spring on February 7th.
Shady Spring entered the week as the top-ranked team among Class AA schools in the MetroNews Power Index. In their 10-0 start, they have defeated 2019 state semifinalists Robert C. Byrd and Bluefield as well as Class AAA heavyweights Capital, George Washington, South Charleston and Woodrow Wilson.