Alliance, OH- With 1st place in the Eastern Buckeye Conference on the line Tuesday night, the Carrollton Warriors embarked upon Harry Fails Gymnasium inside Alliance High School. Alliance, looking to avenge a loss in the team's first meeting in Carrollton, looked to keep sole possession of 1st place, while Carrollton entered looking for a season sweep and a tie in the conference standings. The wins would give the Warriors the tie-breaker should the two end the season with identical conference records.
The intensity was palpable from the opening tip. Both teams turned up the pressure with full court presses at different parts in the opening half. The Warriors came out more efficient on the offensive end, holding a 22-14 lead after the first quarter. The Aviators were able to chip away at the Warrior advantage over the middle two quarters, trailing by 6 at the half and only 1 (36-35) entering the game's final 8 minutes.
With the game in the balance, Coach Mike Aukerman's squad answered with a 10-2 run over the first 5 minutes of the decisive frame. The Aviators weren't able to rebound from that run, ultimately falling 53-41.
On the night, the Warriors were led by Senior Braylen Murphy with 11, 8 of which came in the final quarter. Freshman Point Guard Tayvian Johnson joined Murphy in double figures with 10. Off the bench, it was Everett Brooks with 3 2nd half triples. For the Aviators, it was Kam Burton with 12 and JR Jackson with 11.