Wythe boards up Grayson en route to 75-56 win

MAX MEADOWS –– Grayson County had hoped to rebound to a fifth-place finish in the First Bank of Virginia Tournament. The Blue Devils didn’t rebound, period.

Craig Worrell

Grayson County’s Adam Wyatt looks for an outlet after winning a loose ball in the Devils’ loss to George Wythe.

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George Wythe dominated the backboards and relegated the Blue Devils to a sixth-place showing in the eight-team tournament with a 73-56 decision Thursday at Fort Chiswell High School.

George Wythe (3-3) held a 3-to-1 advantage on the boards at one point late in the third quarter and finished with a 54-24 rebounding advantage.

Grayson County (6-3) was able to stay close by knocking down nine 3-pointers, but fell behind in the third period when the long shots stopped falling.

Down 34-30 to open the second half, Grayson County went 0-for-6 from behind the arc in the third quarter as the Maroons pulled out to a 15-point lead.

Marcus Hash scored on a putback to cap an 8-0 Wythe run but Grayson County answered with five unanswered points on an Austin Bedsaul drive followed by a three-point play by Landon Frost with 2:30 left in the third.

Amassing a 39-13 edge on the boards by that point, the Maroons ended the third quarter with another eight-point spurt to take a 52-37 lead into the fourth. Grayson County could only match basket for basket with George Wythe in the final eight minutes.

Wythe scored its first 10 points of the game on offensive rebounds, including three putbacks by center Hardy Lester. Max Rodgers scored twice inside for the Devils, and Frost scored on a putback – Grayson County’s only offensive board in the first half – for a 17-16 Blue Devil lead.

Ty Cannaday knocked down two 3-pointers and Bedsaul hit from long range for a 30-30 ballgame with 1:49 left in the half, but George Wythe scored the final four points of the half and never trailed again.

Lester had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead George Wythe, which had as many offensive rebounds (24) as Grayson had total boards. Shaquille Calfee added 14 points for the Maroons.

Cannaday hit seven 3-pointers and led all scorers with 23 points for Grayson County. Rodgers scored 12.

Grayson County......17  13    7  19––56

George Wythe.........17  17  18  21––73

Grayson County (6-3)

Frost 3 2-4 8, Cannaday 8 0-0 23, Roberts 0 1-2 1, Rudy 1 0-0 2, Ruiz 0 0-0 0, Mx.Rodgers 5 1-1 12, Wyatt 2 1-2 5, Vaughan 0 0-0 0, Bedsaul 2 0-0 5, Circle 0 0-0 0, Billings 0 0-0 0, Morris 0 0-0 0, Anders 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 5-9 56.

George Wythe (3-3)

Baltazar 2 0-0 6, France 4 4-6 12, Layman 0 0-0 0, Kline 2 1-2 5, Crockett 0 0-0 0, Hedgepeth 0 0-0 0, Hash 2 0-0 4, Calfee 5 4-4 14, Deters 3 2-6 8, Williams 0 0-0 0, Lester 6 4-6 16, Wynn 4 0-0 8. Totals 28 15-24 73.

Three-point field goals – Grayson County 9-25 (Cannaday 7, Mx.Rodgers, Bedsaul), George Wythe 2-12 (Baltazar 2). Rebounds – Grayson County 24 (Mx.Rodgers 7), George Wythe 54 (Lester 10). Turnovers – Grayson County 21, George Wythe 18. Team fouls – Grayson County 18, George Wythe 14. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.