The Martins Ferry Purple Riders had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 60-58 win over Union Local on Tuesday. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Union Local's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gannon Kerns, who scored nine points along with eight rebounds and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Billy Schumacher, who scored 11 points along with seven rebounds.
The win (which was Martins Ferry's fourth in a row) raised their record to 16-8. As for Union Local, their defeat dropped their record down to 20-5.
Martins Ferry will head out on the road to face off against Malvern at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Malvern is coming into the matchup with 14 straight victories at home, so Martins Ferry will have to stop a team with plenty of momentum. Union Local does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
