Mayberry not friendly,

scores 23 in AC victory
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

TAYLORSVILLE — Watauga has two big players to worry about when they play Alexander Central in the first round of the Northwestern 4-A Conference Tournament next week.

They already knew about Ryan Hargrave, the Cougars’ 6-foot-6 power forward who scored 35 points on them the first time the teams played, which ended in a Watauga loss. Now they have to worry about Justin Mayberry, Alexander Central’s 6-5 forward, who can also score.

Mayberry scored 23 points, which included two 3-point baskets, and Watauga lost to the Cougars 83-71 despite hitting 16 3-point shots.

The Pioneers Watauga (9-14, 4-8 NWC), who set a team record of hitting 17 treys in a win over A.C. Reynolds, tried to keep up with the Cougars from the 3-point line. Zach Greene scored 21 points by hitting seven 3-point shots.

Chad Eppley, who hit seven 3-pointers against A.C. Reynolds, hit three against Alexander Central and finished with 17 points. David Isaacs added four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Ethan Moyer and Jeff Newell each hit one 3-point basket and both finished with those three points.

“The team that controls the boards controls the momentum,” Pioneers coach Rob Sanders said. “They controlled the tempo of the game. One of the things they did to control the pace of the game was to control the boards. You can’t give them second-shot opportunities and let them put them in.”

Watauga’s shooting wasn’t as fatal as its defense and rebounding. The Pioneers’ half-court traps netted their share of turnovers, but it also left the area near the basket vulnerable. Mayberry got most of his points off of layups caused by lapses in the Watauga defense.

Hargrave didn’t burn the Pioneers like he did last time, scoring one field goal and settling for just seven points. He hit 5-of-7 from the foul line.

“I really felt like we did a good job on Hargrave,” Sanders said. “We wanted to make somebody else beat us and every time he got the ball we did a good job on him and frustrated him. Mayberry picked up the slack.”

Instead, Ethan Ford scored 15 points and Jonathan Dockery added 13 for the Cougars (15-7, 6-5). Thomas Ferguson and Daniel Rauscher each added eight points.

“Going into tonight, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Alexander Central coach Ed Wills said. “Anytime you play against a different game that they are playing right now, you have to make adjustments as you go and be ready for everything. They made a bunch (of 3-pointers), but we did a good job of rebounding and on the other things.”

Watauga actually led 8-5 in the first quarter, but a 10-0 Alexander Central run put them behind for good at 15-8. It was 39-29 by halftime and 49-35 by the third quarter.

Alexander Central 83, Watauga 71
Watauga (9-14, 4-8)
Steury 1 0-0 2, Watson 2 0-0 4, Greene 7 0-0 21, Moyer 1 0-0 3, Isaacs 5 0-0 14, Chiarolanzio 0 1-2 1, Newell 1 0-0 3, eppley 7 0-0 17, Herndon 0 0-2 0, Dale 2 2-2 6, Fancher 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 3-6 71.
Alexander Central (15-7, 6-5)
Ferguson 3 2-2 8, Fisher 1 0-0 2, Hargrave 1 5-6 7, Dockery 5 3-7 13, Rauscher 3 0-0 8, Ford 5 2-2 15, Morris 1 0-0 2, Mayberry 9 3-4 23, Fortner 2 1-2 5. Totals 30 16-23 83.
Watauga 17 12 14 28 — 71
Alexander Central 22 17 17 22 — 83
3-point goals—Watauga 16 (Greene 7, Isaacs 4, Eppley 3, Moyer, Newell), Alexander Central 7 (Ford 3, Mayberry 2, Rauscher 2). Total fouls—Watauga 20, Alexander Central 10. Fouled out—None. Technical fouls—None.