Keyser Outlasts Sentinals, 83-79

KEYSER - In a game of ebbs and flows Keyser was lucky the tide turned Green late, as the Golden Tornado swingman scored 16 of the locals final 24 fourth-quarter points to pull out an 83-79 victory over visiting Fort Hill Monday night at Tornado Alley.
Senior guard Jeremy Green and fellow classmate Preston Hartman combined to score 55 points, the latter grabbing a team-high 14 rebounds and providing Keyser a lead early on.
The Golden Tornado were not able to hold onto that, or any lead, very long against the ever-surging Sentinels, as Fort Hill battled back time and time again and played Keyser dead-even through three periods of play.
Green went bezerk over the final eight minutes, leading the Golden Tornado on a 13-0 quarter-opening surge and scored 10 of Keyser’s first 15 points in the period.
That lead almost fell through however, as Fort Hill took advantage of a questionable coaching move with just over a minute to play and nearly pulled out an upset.
Keyser went up 11-0 off the tip on the Sentinels, taking advantage of Hartman’s hot shooting and boardwork to get second shots over the first 4:30.
Jordan Helmick got Fort Hill in the scoring column at the 3:30 mark, and Brandon Renson connected for three of his 12 points after he was fouled on a successful attempt to cut the margin to 14-5.
Hartman sank his second 3-pointer of the period, but Devin Lee nailed one of his four three-point field goals to answer on the ensuing possession.
Matt Wilmer and Wes Washington connected on back-to-back trips to push the Keyser lead to 10 points again, and that was the margin after eight minutes as the Golden Tornado took a 22-12 lead into the second stanza.
Hartman scored the first four points of the period to give Keyser its’ largest lead of the game, 14 points, but Fort Hill began to chip away at the Tornado advantage as Keyser’s perimeter defenders began to lax.
Devin Lee drilled a trey at the 6:00 mark to cut the lead to four points, 28-24, and the Sentinels were finally able to tie it up with 3:30 to play in the half after a Helmick follow at 32-32.
Fort Hill fell asleep and a mental mistake at the line allowed Keyser to rebound a one-shot opportunity and turn a three-point play into four with a Green follow, but L.T. White nailed a three and a pair from the line to give Fort Hill its’ first lead at 37-36.
Washington found Green and Keyser got it right back, and the Tornado went on to take a 41-37 lead into the locker room after ending the half on a 6-0 run.
Keyser was unable to shake the Sentinels throughout the third quarter, allowing Fort Hill continually to go inside-out and take advantage of Keyser’s slow-to-recover perimeter defense for open looks around the arc.
But Keyser’s redhead might have earned a new nickname - money - because it was all Green in the final frame.
Green went on a tear slicing up the Sentinels for 16 points over the first 5:50 of play, and gave Keyser a comfortable 12-point cushion with 1:10 on the clock.
Head Coach Gary Liston decided to substitute all five players at that point, but trailing 80-68 the Sentinels still thought they had a chance.
And they did.
Lee connected on back to back three’s to cut the margin in half, and hit his seventh and eighth points in 24 seconds to cut the Keyser lead to four at 80-76.
Fort Hill put Jarell Ross on the line and he converted one-of-two freebies with 22 tic’s on the clock, but Lee was fouled shooting a three with 11 seconds to go. Lee sank all three, and cut the Keyser lead to a bucket.
Washington was fouled immediately, and he sealed the win after knocking down a pair to make it a two-possession game with 10 seconds to play for the Golden Tornado - but not before every Keyser fan was left with a sore spot from all the collective scratching of heads in Tornado Alley after decision to exit all five starters so early.
Green added six rebounds to his 28-point night, Matt Wilmer scored 14 for Keyser, and Washington chipped in six rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.
Lee led all scorers for Fort Hill with 30 points. Helmick added 16.
Keyser won the jayvee game 51-36.
Ethan LaRue led the locals with 14 points, R.C. Pratt added 11, and Dustin Fertig finished with seven points, six boards and seven steals for Keyser, who led throughout.
The lil’ Tornado finished off their season with some revenge over the only team to hand them a loss, beating Fort Hill 61-40.
Wyatt Nelson led the way with 18 points for Keyser, and added eight rebounds and four steals.
Corey Armstong scored 14 points on the break, and Jamison Jones rounded out the scoring with nine points and added eight assists.
The Keyser frosh finish their season at 15-1and the coaching staff would like to thank the players and families for a successful year.
The KHS varsity will return to action tonight at Hampshire before hosting Bishop Walsh in the season finale on senior night Thursday at Tornado Alley.