West Henderson keeps Tuscola boys winless

Dennis Smathers - Tuscola Beat Writer

The Tuscola varsity boys basketball team scored 33 first half points Wednesday night against visiting West Henderson. But the Mountaineers lost their shooting touch in the second half, scoring only 19 points as the Falcons beat Tuscola, 69-52, in a non-conference game. Tuscola dropped to 0-4 overall and will play at Pisgah (8 p.m.) tonight. The Mountaineers will look to snap a 14-game losing streak to the Black Bears. The last time the Tuscola boys beat Pisgah in basketball was Feb. 2001 in the conference tournament. Against the Falcons, Tuscola held a 17-15 lead after the first eight minutes, lead by sophomore Jonathan Hopper’s six points. But the Mountaineers lost the lead in the second quarter and went into halftime trailing, 35-33. The Falcons nearly doubled Tuscola’s offensive output in the third quarter to extend their lead to nine points, 50-41, entering the final quarter. West Henderson (2-0) scored nine of its 19 fourth quarter points from the free throw line to ice the game. For the first time this season, no player scored in double figures for the Mountaineers. Hopper posted a team-high eight points while junior Alex Smith finished with seven points. Juniors Walton Shepherd and Will Valentine chipped in six points apiece while seniors Sidney Blankenship and Tyler Green scored five points apiece. Senior Aaron Fernandez, junior Billy Lirely and senior Paul Allen finished with four points each.