Pirates notch win over Wildcats

POMEROY–The Pirates teamed up to register a nine-point win over the Colton Wildcats here last Saturday, prevailing in a taut matchup that went all four quarters for a Southeast B league win. The Buccaneers dropped a post-holiday break non-league game to Genesee the night before for a 2-2 league record, 2-7 overall.

“We’re improving every week, but haven’t got as consistent as we want to be as a team,” commented Head Coach Chris Wolf.

Pomeroy played DeSales last Tuesday, and heads to Prescott Jan. 10 before hosting Touchet Saturday night, Jan. 11.

The Pirates’ success outrebounding the Wildcats and Trent Gwinn’s game-high 27 points combined with Byron Stallcop’s 13 points and 16 rebounds, along with Evan Bartels’s 14 points and 10 rebounds, to give the Pirates the edge.

Pomeroy outrebounded Colton 51-17, Wolf noted.

“We didn’t defend the three-point line well enough tonight and that is why Colton was able to stay with us in the second half,” Wolf said.

Gwinn was “great in the transition” tonight, Wolf added, and the Pirates were able to work the ball into the posts and score. “We got in trouble when we turned it over and didn’t get the ball to the post,” he said.

Colton’s Chris Wolf scored 19, three from the arc, and Kian Ankerson and Jackson Meyer each drained three from a distance.

The Pirates jumped to a 12-6 lead after the first quarter, then battled to a draw, 9-7, in the second to hold a 21-13 half-time lead.

Both teams came out firing in the high-scoring second half. The Bucs outscored Colton 23-19 in the third and the fourth quarter went to Colton 19-18, but the margin was in Pomeroy’s favor.

“This was a close game throughout,” Wolf said.

The non-leaguer against Genesee Friday was a good tune-up for Saturday’s league win, and could easily have tipped to Pomeroy’s favor.

“This game came down to the wire,” Wolf said of the 55-53 loss.

The Pirates had two possessions at the end of the game to tie or take the lead and weren’t able to convert, Wolf said.

Crucial fourth-quarter turnovers and missed rebounds at critical times also played a role in the loss, although Coach Wolf saw glimmers of promise. “This was the best game we have played this year, but we came up just short,” he said. “We learned a lot tonight about what it takes to win games.”

Gwinn led the Pirates in scoring with 16 points and Stallcop was seven of eight (88%) from the field and had 14 points. Stallcop and Bartels rebounded hard tonight and came up with several key offensive rebounds, Wolf said.

Pomeroy 62, Colton 53 (1/4)

Col 6 7 19 19-53

Pom 12 9 23 18-62

Colton (53) Kian Ankerson 4 4-6 15, Chris Wolf 6 4-4 19, Jackson Meyer 5 1-2 14, Jaxon Moehrle 0 0-0 0, Dalton McCann 0 0-0 0, Grant Wolf 1 2-2 5, Raphael Arnhold 0 0-0 0, Totals 16 11-14 53

Pomeroy (62) Braedon Fruh 0 0-0 0, Trent Gwinn 12 2-4 27, Evan Bartels 7 0-0 14, Brady Bott 0 0-0 0, Trevin Kimble 0 1-3 1, Brodie Magill 0 0-0 0, Byron Stallcop 6 1-2 13, Danner Maves 2 3-3 7, Totals 27 7-12 62

3-Point goals-Colton: Ankerson 3, C. Wolf 3, Meyer 3, G. Wolf. Pomeroy: Gwinn

Genesee 55, Pomeroy 53 (1/3)

Gen 11 13 15 16-55

Pom 10 17 13 13-53

Genesee (55) Carson Schwartz 2 0-0 6, Owen Crowley 0 0-1 0, Sam Spence 3 3-4 9, Cy Wareham 7 2-5 18, Dawson Durham 7 4-6 18, Truman Renton 1 0-0 2, Dillon Sperber 1 0-0 2, Totals 21 9-16 55

Pomeroy (53) Braedon Fruh 0 0-0 0, Trent Gwinn 6 2-2 14, Evan Bartels 4 0-0 8, Trevin Kimble 2 0-0 6, Byron Stallcop 7 0-2 14, Danner Maves 4 2-2 11, Totals 23 4-6 53

3-point goals-Genesee: Schwartz 2, Wareham 2. Pomeroy: Kimble 2, Maves.