Williamstown’s Nate Nicely (11) and Ritchie County’s Carter Satterfield (30) get tangled up during Wednesday’s game in Williamstown. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

WILLIAMSTOWN – Seniors upon seniors who played basketball for Ritchie County can rest easy. The drought is over.

For the first time since 2013, Ritchie County defeated Williamstown. Wednesday at Williamstown High School, four starters scored in double figures as the Rebels pulled out a 64-59 win against the Yellowjackets.

Ritchie coach Kenny Church tracked the exact number of days since the last time Ritchie County walked off the floor with a win against Williamstown.

“After we lost to Williamstown earlier this season, it was 4,699 days – I asked the boys what number they liked better and they picked 99, so we ran 99 up and backs the next day in practice,” Church said. “After tonight’s game, it’s been 4,718 days. People say for Williamstown it’s a down year for them. But they have 10 to 12 guys that can play ball on that team.

“We haven’t had a group of seniors who have beaten Williamstown since 2013, so this means everything.”

Ritchie County’s Isaac Hodges (14) drives baseline while being guarded by Williamstown’s Dom Strcula during Wednesday’s game in Williamstown. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Williamstown (5-5) suffered its second straight home loss – a rarity since the Yellowjackets had not been on the short-end of the scoreboard in their own gym in nearly 3 1/2 years prior to last Friday’s loss to Doddridge County.

The Yellowjackets received 15 points from Caleb Atkinson along with 11 from Cedric Davis. Tyler Keiser, one of two Williamstown players who broke their nose in the game against Doddridge County and returned on Wednesday wearing faceguards, added 10 points.

“Ritchie played with a lot of energy right from the beginning of the game,” Williamstown coach Scott Sauro said. “We played pretty hard in the second half and were pretty active, but I thought we kind of waited a little bit, waited a little bit too long.”

Despite falling behind by as many as nine points in the third quarter, Williamstown managed to catch the Rebels in time for a 44-44 tie for the start of the fourth period. A five-point possession spearheaded the comeback. A Yellowjacket was fouled while setting a pick to free-up Atkinson’s 3-pointer.

On the reset, Williamstown’s Wyatt Powell rebounded a miss and followed with two of his eight points.

Williamstown’s Cedric Davis (15) drives between Ritchie County defenders Seth Cronin, left, and Kellen Cress during Wednesday’s game in Williamstown. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

However in the final eight minutes of regulation, Williamstown could not get over the hump as Ritchie maintained an advantage from four to eight points throughout.

Seth Cronin, who scored a game-high 20 points, hit back-to-back buckets to put Ritchie in front 52-46. On the ensuing possession, Rebels’ Isaac Hodges was whistled for his fourth personal as Williamstown continued to attack Ritchie’s best player on the court.

Trailing 56-48, Williamstown’s Colton Rinard drew a charge on Hodges. Even though Hodges left with 16 points and 14 rebounds, the Yellowjackets failed to pick up ground over the final 2 1/2 minutes.

“Yes, we were trying to get fouls on Hodges – he was pretty disciplined as far as not fouling us,” Sauro said.

Also hitting double figures in the scoring column for the Rebels were Jenner Keen and Carter Satterfield, both with 10 points.

Ritchie County ballhandler Carter Satterfield drives around Williamstown’s Nate Frye (5) during Wednesday’s game in Williamstown. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Scott Sauro is the best I’ve ever coached against – and not only on the floor but because he helps me so much off the floor,” Church said. “So this is bittersweet, but it is a lot more sweeter than bitter.”

Coach Church also alluded to his team’s tendency to start off games slowly. Wednesday was not the case as the Rebels created a 9-3 lead midway into the first quarter.

Hodges worked the glass for seven rebounds in the opening period alone.

On several occasions in the second quarter, Williamstown cut the deficit to one thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Keiser in the corner.

Ritchie took a 29-24 lead into halftime and tacked on another two points on a Hodges bucket less than a minute into the third quarter.

Williamstown’s Tyler Keiser (23) looks for an open teammate during Wednesday’s game against Ritchie County at Williamstown High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Cronin carried Ritchie’s offense over a 90-second stretch – scoring seven points, including a 3-pointer, as part of a 9-2 run which increased the lead to 40-31.

Out of a timeout, Williamstown’s sudden five-point burst brought the Yellowjackets back into the neighborhood. Atkinson accounted for 10 points in the third quarter.

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com

Williamstown’s Mason Kern, left, greets teammate Dom Strcula during player introduction prior to Wednesday’s game against Ritchie County at Williamstown High School. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)