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MARIETTA --In the second meeting of the year between Parkersburg and Marietta, defense ruled the day. It was a contest punctuated by turnovers and key shots, as PHS improved to 4-4 with a 68-63 victory on Tuesday night from Sutton Gymnasium. Josh Kopec was a spark plug for the Big Reds' offense, as a steal and lay-in with time expiring gave his side a 14-12 lead after one. He became very familiar with shots from beyond the arc, as did Luke Fries.
Fries nailed three consecutive triples late in the half, as the Tigers still kept up. Despite the sweet shooting stroke from Fries, Tyler Kytta and MHS would not go quietly into the night. Fries' third make gave PHS the lead back at 31-29, as Kytta previously took the lead back, thanks to a hoop and some harm earlier in the quarter. Bryson Singer and Sammy McCale netted back-to-back PHS buckets to stretch the red and white advantage to 35-29 with 19 seconds until the break. On the other end, Jackson Blevins was in the right spot and scored on a putback from a missed three-pointer to make the score 35-31 at halftime.
PHS head coach Bryan Crislip's message to his team in the locker room was to keep Marietta on its toes. Having already played the Tigers in a victory this season provided them with the knowledge of what MHS brings to the table. With that said, Parkersburg dialed up the 2-1-2 fullcourt press in order to keep the Tigers at an arm's length. While both defenses adjusted, the offenses went ice cold in the first few minutes of the third, as PHS narrowly outscored MHS 9-8 in the frame. Tyler Kytta did a majority of scoring for the homestanding Tigers, as he made six of his game-high 23 in the third. While Kopec impressed with 21 for PHS, it was Singer who led the way for the visitors with 22 points.
The final period saw big defensive plays from the likes of Marietta's starters, as PHS had to rely on it's free throw shooting to put the game away. Despite efficient quarters from Kytta, Aidan Harris and Alex Kendall, PHS made the most of its opportunities at the charity stripe.
Parkersburg only made one shot from the floor in the final four minutes, as the team went a combined 11-12 to put the game out of reach. In the fourth, Singer made all six of his attempts, while Kopec went 5-for-6. Also joining in on the high-percentage night was McCale, as he added a pair with less than a minute to go. The loss drops Marietta to 4-9, as the team looks to bounce back when it hosts Frontier with a 7:30 p.m. tip. Parkersburg could seriously reverse its fortunes and go above .500, as the Big Reds travel to St. Albans on Thursday.
From there, Marietta can further dig out of its hole. A majority of its remaining games feature in-conference opponents, as Dover is next up on the slate following Frontier. PHS has Shady Spring and Ripley around the corner in the next week.