GREENVILLE – The Greenville Green Wave dropped a hard-fought 72-62 Miami Valley League varsity boys basketball contest to the visiting West Carrollton Pirates Tuesday night.
West Carrollton entered the matchup alone atop the MVL Valley Division with a 15-5 overall record and used its size, depth, and relentless full-court pressure to secure the conference victory.
“We knew going into it, their size — that is why they are 15-5,” said Greenville coach Matt Hamilton. “They are able to utilize their size and play together.”
Despite facing a roster that included a 6-foot-7 standout, multiple 6-5 and 6-4 players, and quick guards that produced scoring from eight different players, the Green Wave battled throughout with composure and effort.
Greenville struck first with momentum in the opening quarter. After the Pirates held a narrow 5-4 lead midway through the period, a Johnny Barr three-pointer put the Wave in front 7-5 at the 4:09 mark. Landon Noble followed with a 10-foot jumper in the lane to extend the lead to 9-5, and a Michael McMahon triple at 1:46 pushed the advantage to 12-5. West Carrollton closed the quarter on a 4-0 run, trimming the Greenville lead to 12-9 after one.
The Pirates’ pressure defense intensified in the second quarter, where they outscored Greenville 24-15 to take a 33-27 lead into halftime.
David Conway opened the third quarter with a basket at the rim to cut the deficit to four, 33-29, but West Carrollton answered with a decisive 22-13 run to build a 55-42 advantage entering the final period. McMahon sparked the Wave with three third-quarter three-pointers, while Barr went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
West Carrollton extended its lead to 62-48 midway through the fourth before Greenville closed the night on a 14-10 surge. Barr scored eight fourth-quarter points, McMahon connected on his fifth and sixth triples of the game, and Ethan Flatter, Isaac Kerg, and Conway each added baskets down the stretch.
“They keep dealing body blows all game long, and it just starts to wear on you,” Hamilton said of the Pirates. “They find offensive rebounds at the right time and put it back in, and points in the paint are always a problem playing them — and that’s what got us.”
Hamilton also pointed to clear improvement since the teams’ first meeting before Christmas, when West Carrollton earned a 63-35 win.
“To go from 26 turnovers to 14 tonight, a 28-point game to a 10-point game, shows the progress we are making,” Hamilton said. “Their size is a problem, and at times when we needed a bucket, we couldn’t quite get it to go, but Michael McMahon and Johnny Barr made some big shots. We are playing good ball.”
McMahon led Greenville and all scorers with a game-high 26 points, including six three-pointers, while Barr added 21 points for the Wave.
With the win, West Carrollton improves to 15-5 overall (13-4 MVL), while Greenville moves to 4-17 (3-14 MVL) on the season.
BOX SCORE:
WEST CARROLLTON 72, GREENVILLE 62
WEST CARROLLTON – S. Khaleel 21, E. Scott 13, J. Ingram 12, D. Yow 7, T. McKenzie 7, L. Johnson 6, I. Cunningham 3, D. Hammond 3 – TOTALS18 18-26 6 72
GREENVILLE – M. McMahon 26, J. Barr 21, E. Flatter 7, D. Conway 4, I. Kerg 2, L. Noble – TOTALS 14 8 10-13 62
3-POINTERS
West Carrollton 6 (S. Khaleel 3, D. Yow 1, E. Scott 1, D. Hammond 1)
Greenville 8 (M. McMahon 6, J. Barr 2)
SCORE by QUARTERS
09-24-22-17 72 West Carrollton
12-15-15-20 62 Greenville
