Williamstown’s Cruz Isaly makes a move with the ball during Friday’s game against Parkersburg as part of the Clash at the Coliseum at Warren. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

VINCENT — This is why Williamstown boys basketball coach Scott Sauro designed the schedule the way he did.

Friday night in the second of four games at Warren High School’s Clash at the Coliseum, the Yellowjackets led for all of 26 seconds in their matchup with fellow Wood County school Parkersburg High.

“First of all, (PHS coach Phil Wilson) and his staff are doing a really good job with this team,” Williamstown coach Scott Sauro said. “Their record is so deceiving because they have played one of the best schedules in the state. They came out and they were the aggressor – they punch us in the mouth and we stood around and took it.

“We didn’t come out with the fire early that we needed. But to the kids’ credit they did turn it around.”

The final 19 seconds were all that matter as Williamstown extinguished what was a 14-point deficit in the first half and turned into a 71-69 victory when Parker Schramm knocked down his seventh 3-pointer of the game and put the Yellowjackets in front to stay at 70-69 with 19 seconds remaining in regulation.

Parkersburg's Andrew Stalnaker (2) lays it in against Williamstown's Gavin Lemley during Friday's Clash at the Coloiseum. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I was praying that shot went down — I shot it normal and it went in,” Schramm said. “We talked about rebounding in the second half, especially. We were emphasizing energy because we came out kind of dead in the first half.

“This win is a big deal. In the tournament there will be tough games all the way through, so we have to be ready for this kind of adversity.”

The two-day event featuring 11 varsity games recognized a Player of the Game for both sides. Schramm was the hands down favorite on the Williamstown end after scoring 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half.

Parkersburg (0-5), which ambushed the Yellowjackets in the first half and gave them a major wake-up call after establishing a 23-12 lead late in the first quarter, answered just about every challenge and nearly pulled off its first win for first-year head coach Phil Wilson.

“Williamstown can shoot,” Wilson said. “Normally, a team might have one or two shooters that you have to worry about. This team has five, six shooters you have worry about every time down the floor.It’s hard to try and keep track of them.”

Parkersburg’s representative for Player of the Game was point guard Nate Rodriguez, who picked apart Williamstown’s defense – particularly in the first quarter when he dished out four assists and added two of his 13 points.

“Nate Rodriguez is a terrific player – he is one of the best guards we will play all year,” Sauro said. “With a player like Nate, it’s not just the scoring he does. He makes everyone around him better.”

All five PHS starters scored in double figures, including Isaac Dailey, who burned the Yellowjackets for five threes in the first half and finished with 17 points. Twin brothers Matthew and Andrew Stalnaker added 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Quinten Wilson pitched in 11 points.

“These guys gave a lot of heart, a lot of grit,” coach Wilson said. “These kids want to win. Now we just have to figure out to finish out and close these games.”

Jayden Bryant added 20 points for the 4-0 Yellowjackets, who limited PHS to 25 second-half points after allowing 44 before halftime.

Wilson nearly provided some heroics of his own. After Schramm made one of two free throws with 11.5 seconds showing, the Big Reds worked the ball to the freshman. Wilson found himself open on the wing and got a good look at an open ‘3.’ Didn’t miss by much, but when it came down Cruz Isaly grabbed the defensive board as time expired.

“I thought (Wilson) was going to bank it in,” Schramm said. “I was nervous because Cruz and I both ran by one guy and they swung it. I said, ‘please don’t go in.'”

In addition to engineering the Williamstown offense to the tune of 13 3-pointers as the starting point guard, Isaly continued to do the little things which made a difference. After Schramm’s clutch three, Isaly drew a charge at mid-court for a PHS turnover with 13.1 seconds showing.

“Those are what we call little things, but what wins games,” Sauro said. “And Cruz is the embodiment of that. Especially in the second half. Every little thing he did had a major impact on the game.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com