MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — At the end of the first overtime in Saturday’s matchup between University and Huntington, the Hawks’ Glenn Brown had an opportunity to score or setup the winning basket, only to be stripped as time was winding down.
The Highlanders then had an opportunity themselves to win it, but Jamari Tubbs missed a shot in the paint in transition.
Brown wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.
The junior guard drove to the basket and converted a contested shot that led to a conventional three-point play with 5.9 seconds left in double overtime, breaking a tie and sending University to an 83-80 victory over the Highlanders in a thrilling matchup as part of the Little General Classic at Morgantown High School.
It was a fitting finish for Glenn, who made 10-of-13 shots and led all players with 25 points.
“He did a spin move into a help defender and we got lucky that we didn’t lose it there at the end of the first overtime,” Hawks’ head coach Joe Schmidle said. “I’ve been riding Glenn pretty hard the last two or three weeks in practice because I know what he’s capable of and I know what my expectations are for Glenn. You can understand why I felt that way after watching him play today. When he’s focused and puts in the effort, he’s as good as anybody. I’ve really been pushing him to get everything I can out of him and responded well today.”
Game-winning basket for University’s Glenn Brown on what became a conventional three-point play with 5.9 seconds left in 83-80 double overtime victory against Huntington. #wvprepbb pic.twitter.com/1lshPjJgTB
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) December 21, 2024
University (2-1) held the Highlanders (0-3) to 7-for-22 shooting in the opening half to build a 31-20 lead through two quarters.
Huntington began the second half by shooting two free throws as a result of Schmidle’s technical foul just after time expired in the opening half. Artie Caprino converted both foul shots and it marked the start of a 17-4 Huntington spurt over the first 3:25 of the third. It culminated with an Avonte Crawford three-pointer that left the Highlanders with a 37-35 lead — their first of the contest.
“I take responsibility for that run of theirs in the third quarter. That’s on me,” Schmidle said.
HHS built its largest lead of the matchup late in the third at 51-44 on a Pierson Deneka three-pointer, though the Hawks’ Jagger Barnes countered with a trey of his own to cut his team’s deficit to four entering the final period.
Huntington led 56-51 before Brown accounted for five straight points to tie the game with inside 5 minutes to play in regulation.
Brown made two free throws at the 1:33 mark to trim Huntington’s lead to 65-64, before Crawford countered with a bucket inside to make it a three-point margin.
UHS responded right back and got a tying triple from Luke Byrer, which combined with a Highlanders’ turnover in the final seconds of regulation, sent the game to overtime.
Brown and Huntington’s Taviun Chandler each made a three in the first OT, but with the matchup tied at 74, both teams committed turnovers in the final 10 seconds, leading to a second extra session.
The Highlanders’ Isaiah Lapsley opened the second OT with a triple, but the game was tied at 78 not long after when Zach Demidovich scored in the post.
Chandler made two free throws with 1:24 left to give Huntington a two-point lead, but Demidovich counted with another bucket inside to make it six straight points for him in the second overtime.
Brown’s conventional three-point play that secured the win was the only other scoring play.
Byrer contributed 24 points and Demidovich added 15 to make it three double-figure scorers in the win.
“We executed our game plan well. We wanted to force them to get back into man-to-man so we could work it inside to Demidovich and Luke Byrer,” Schmidle said. “That combination seemed to work. They had no answer for that.”
Chandler led the Highlanders with 24 points, Crawford scored 15 to go with a game-high 10 rebounds and Tubbs added 12 points in defeat.
“We gave up way too many second-chance points to Huntington,” Schmidle said, “but we found a way.”