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Ravenswood can’t overcome tough shooting performance in Class A title game

Wheeling Central’s Owen Gainer, who had a game-high 18 points in the Maroon Knights’ 54-40 Class A state championship victory Saturday afternoon inside the Charleston Civic Center, shoots over the defense of Ravenswood’s Alex Easthom (34) and the outstretched arm of Stephen Dawson. Photo by Jay W. Bennett

CHARLESTON — Brent Price’s third dunk closed out the final points of the Class A state championship game here Saturday afternoon inside the Charleston Civic Center as top-seeded Wheeling Central knocked off cold-shooting No. 2 seed Ravenswood, 54-40.

Ravenswood went spans of 10:17 and 6:06 without a field goal, shot just 4 of 21 in the first half and finished at 26.8 percent (11 of 41) for the game.

“We tried to do our best early to make them go through some tough shots,” said RHS head coach Mick Price, who watched grandson Blake Bennett, Jayden Rhodes, Lakin Tucker, Isaiah Morgan, Stephen Dawson, Chase Swain and Alex Easthom play their final game for the Red Devils.

“I realize it (poor shooting) has something to do with the defense, but we missed shots we normally don’t miss and that really hurt us, so it put us behind the 8-ball.”

The Maroon Knights (25-2) of head man Mel Stephens opened the game with a third-chance putback, but the Red Devils got hoops from Rhodes and Morgan to take their only lead at 4-2.

Photo by Jay W. Bennett Ravenswood head coach Mick Price gives final instructions to his starting five, from left, Stephen Dawson, Jayden Rhodes, Isaiah Morgan, Blake Bennett and Chase Swain (kneeling) prior to Saturday’s Class A state championship game at the Charleston Civic Center.

Owen Gainer, who had a game-high 18 points, put Central ahead for good with a 3 at the 5:22 mark and his second-chance putback made it 7-4. Although Tucker found Dawson inside for a deuce, Gainer’s reverse lay-in and then a turnover by RHS, which led to a Cedric Williams layup, put the squad from Jackson County in a 13-8 hole after one period of play.

Brent Price, who finished with 16 points and game-highs of five assists and three blocks, opened quarter two with a steal and a dunk-light, where he skied above the rim and gently put it through.

Gainer followed that with another 3 and it was 20-8 Maroon Knights when a Red Devil turnover resulted in a Brent Price two-handed windmill slam.

Rhodes hit from downtown to close the deficit back to nine at the 6:01 mark, but all the Red Devils got the rest of the half were four made foul shots from Morgan.

“It’s a special moment for our seniors,” Stephens said. “Two very good teams playing against each other. Those two guys (Price and Gainer) took over for us and that’s what they’ve done all year.”

Facing a 26-15 deficit at intermission, Ravenswood quickly found itself trailing by 17 after consecutive 3s by Central. A fourth-chance opportunity resulted in a wide-open Bray Price bomb and Gainer tickled the twine and gave the Maroon Knights more momentum than they needed when he canned a long step-back 3.

“There was a couple series early where they went to the offensive board and they got a bunch of loose balls and that probably set the tone for the game because it seemed like we were always looking up after that,” added Mick Price, whose squad finally scored a field goal at 3:44 of the fourth quarter on a Rhodes turnaround jumper in the paint.

However, the Red Devils were behind 32-17 at that point. Despite five straight markers from Morgan, who had team-highs of 17 points and six caroms, a field goal by Brent Price put Central ahead 37-22 entering the fourth.

Although RHS made six foul shots early in the final stanza, the second Red Devil field goal drought of 6:06 didn’t end until Bennett had a steal and layup to make it 41-30. Ravenswood later managed to cut the deficit to nine on four different occasions, but got no closer.

“Our kids just kept playing,” continued Mick Price, who got 15 points from Rhodes and watched his team make all 17 of its free throws while going 1 of 17 from deep. “These guys exemplified what true athletes really are. They kept playing.

“It was a tough situation. They weren’t playing their best. They just kept playing and those seven seniors have done that for four years. This was their fourth straight state tournament and this was their second state runner-up. All I can say for them is what a wonderful career they had.”

Bray Price finished with 12 tallies while Williams pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

Ravenswood, which finished at 26-2 and also won the sportsmanship award, landed Dawson, Morgan and Rhodes on the all-tournament team. Central was represented by Gainer and Brent Price. Tug Valley’s Tyler May, Notre Dame’s Gabe Zummo and Trinity’s Joseph Zini rounded out the team.

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