Morgantown's Blaze Colistra (12) drives to the basket against Parkersburg South's Cam Fallon on Thursday night. (Benjamin Powell/The Dominion Post)

MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown and Parkersburg South boys basketball programs have produced some of the best games the state has seen in high school hoops in recent years.

Why else would Thursday night’s contest inside the Rowdie Center at Morgantown High have been any different, as the Mohigans held on for a two-point overtime victory over the visiting Patriots, 68-66.

Parkersburg South senior Taj Joyce’s three-point attempt bounced off the back iron as time expired, allowing MHS (7-0) to remain unbeaten.

While his team made the plays down the stretch in overtime to avoid their first loss, MHS head coach Dave Tallman says he is still searching for a true x-factor on the court.

“Parkersburg South has a good team that’s well-coached, but we have to have guys that step up when the bright lights are on and make shots,” Tallman said. “We don’t have anybody stepping up and making shots. I don’t know what else I can do. Usually, I’m taking the blame. I know we won, but I’m trying to win in March, not today. The word potential is really dangerous. I want performance, not potential. We have a lot of guys with potential right now that aren’t performing.”

With 70 seconds left in the overtime period and trailing 61-60, MHS junior Colin Ridgeway drove the lane and found senior Marcus Goins in the corner for a go-ahead triple. Ridgeway followed that with an immediate steal and layup to give the Mohigans a four-point lead with under 60 seconds to go.

The Patriots (6-2) fought back with four straight free throws after Ridgeway split a pair to make it a one-point game, 66-65.

MHS sophomore Sam Frey then stepped up and knocked down two huge free throws to extend the lead to three, 68-65.

On the next possession, Joyce was fouled attempting a three-pointer with 4.2 seconds left. Joyce was perfect from the line in seven attempts, and the Patriots were 19 of 21 in the game to that point.

After knocking down the first, he missed the second, leading to an intentional miss on the third shot, which worked in his favor, as the Patriots were awarded possession from a tie-up with a single second on the clock, but Joyce’s game-winning shot was off the mark.

Parkersburg South finished 19 of 40 from the field and 20 of 24 from the free-throw line, but the Patriots were responsible for 25 turnovers.

MHS was 22 of 55 shooting, but only 17 of 29 from the line. Ridgeway and senior Waylon Colistra paced the Mohigans with 16 points each. Sophomore Arlo Colistra contributed 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

“We only won this game because of our press and our defense and somewhat of our rebounding,” Tallman said. “Thank God it’s January. We have two months to get ready, but right now we’re not. Playing a lot of sophomores and a couple of juniors, but it’s a shame when we have seniors that have been here that aren’t performing. We have a layup to win the game, and we miss it. We miss free throws down the stretch. When we’re in practice, we can’t miss. But when the lights come on, I don’t have that guy who really wants the ball. My dad always said the greats want the ball. Sharron Young wanted the ball. Parkersburg South has two guys who want the ball. We’re still searching.”