The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Today's Sports Front

November 18, 2012

Tunstalle nets 25 as Concord stays unbeaten

By Tom Bone For The Register-Herald

ATHENS — An 11-deep Concord University rotation ran the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats out of the Carter Center gym on Saturday afternoon, giving the Mountain Lions a 3-0 start to their basketball season.

Concord never trailed en route to its 86-76 home-court win, but UPJ closed the margin to one point on two occasions in the second half and tied the contest with 7:17 left.

Mountain Lions head coach Kent McBride said, “They made a run, and we made the last run, which is the important one.”

Praising the UPJ coach, a 24-year coaching veteran, McBride said, “A Bob Rukavina team is not going to quit. ... We knew it would be a fight to the end, and I’m really proud of the way my guys played and stuck it out.”

Both teams were 2-0 before Saturday’s action, but McBride knew the visitors were short-handed.

“We wore them down,” the Concord coach said. “We knew, going in, they only play seven guys. We played 11. We ran at them, and ran at them, and ran at them. I think our pressure eventually took their toll.”

Concord guard Mike Boyd said, “They got tired, they got tired real quick. At the 10-minute mark in the first half, we saw that they were huffin’ and puffin’, so we just wanted to keep up the pressure, and pressure them more so we could get the win.”

The Mountain Lions’ bench players scored 17 points in the first half as Concord built a 40-32 lead at intermission.

Pitt-Johnstown senior Nick Novak, perhaps the top point guard in the West Virginia conference, led his team in a 10-to-2 surge that dissolved Concord’s 61-53 lead and created a 63-63 tie. In the process, he sank two foul shots after a technical foul was assessed on the Concord bench.

Rukavina said, “We started handling the press a lot better and got some easy baskets. ... We went in a good spurt where we defended them very well. I thought we really battled to get back, because they’re a very good team.”

“We tied it, (but) we made some very bad decisions. We had the chance to take the lead and we didn’t get a shot off, two times in a row. I think that did it right there.”

Former Woodrow Wilson standout Damien Tunstalle restored Concord’s lead to eight points on a jumper with 1:15 left, and in the final minute of action, newcomer Paul Byrd was 8 for 8 at the foul line to maintain the cushion.

Tunstalle said his thoughts during that stretch were, “The next possession, we’ve got to get something good here. That’s what we think, you’ve got to get something going, extend that lead a little more.”

Tunstalle netted 25 points, Byrd had 20 and Jordan Davis recorded 11 points and eight rebounds for Concord, which went 19 for 22 at the free throw line. Pitt-Johnstown made 8 of 12 foul shots.

McBride said, “We beat a good team. I’m proud of coming out with the win. We have to take things from this and get better, and we will. I have a great group of guys ... .”

Concord has a road game at Alderson-Broaddus on Tuesday evening, and then the team will begin its Thanksgiving break.

— E-mail: tbone@bdtonline.com

Text Only
Today's Sports Front
  • 052313 valley ’Hounds roll in Class A

    Watching the celebration unfold, Joe Craffey let it happen, even participated a little.
    It, however, is not the celebration for  which he yearns.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • Pats return to states in AA

    Brian Sexton wasn’t the least bit happy with the way he hit the ball. He’ll gladly take the result.

    May 24, 2013

  • King’s Warriors host SC United Bantams after strong opener

    When the Southern West Virginia King’s Warriors won their league opener a week ago over in-state rival West Virginia Chaos, manager Scott Reitnour had a lot with which to be impressed, but sometimes it’s the simple things that leave the longest lasting impression.

    May 24, 2013

  • 052513 luck ‘I always thought the university was missing an opportunity’

    West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck has been on plenty of tours around the state. Now approaching his fourth year as AD, the former Mountaineer quarterback is used to fielding questions during the spring and summer months about the approaching football season and even a few about basketball.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • 052413 Woodrow.jpg Woodrow Wilson headed to states

    Hunter Greco will walk into the halls of Woodrow Wilson High School this morning for the final time. He’ll walk past his locker and the classroom of his favorite teacher.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • 052413 Indy.jpg Rain halts AA final in 5th

    It took nearly a week for PikeView and Independence to finally claim their sectional championships, largely because of persistent rain.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • 052413 James Monroe.jpg Mavericks fall in AA title game

    The James Monroe High School softball team scratched its way up to the championship game of Class AA softball this week.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • Months of waiting ends: Weeks signs with Marshall

    Adam Weeks probably could have helped usher in a historic first season for the Mountain East Conference at any member school he wanted. Instead, he waited — and waited — for the offer he really wanted.

    May 24, 2013

  • 052313 james monroe A dream start, nightmare end

    Lightning on the horizon brought Wednesday's final game of the state softball tournament to an end.
    The James Monroe Lady Mavericks had felt a shock long before that.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • 052313 woodrow One step away from Charleston

    A trip to Charleston — with a lot more on the agenda than a tour of the capitol building and a shopping spree at Charleston Town Center — will be up for grabs tonight for three area teams that are one win away from punching their ticket to the WVSSAC State Baseball Tournament at Appalachian Power Park.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo