Beloit, OH- In a Battle of the Eastern Buckeye Conference Warriors, it was Carrollton entering with a 3-game win streak and West Branch coming in on a 4-game skid. In a tightly contested conference when it comes to the standings, each head-to-head match-up will have additional weight added to it.
That fact was evident Tuesday night in Beloit, with Carrollton jumping out to a 19-13 lead after one, converting 4 triples in the frame. The lead ballooned to double digits in the 2nd quarter until West Branch Senior Guard Joey Jackson gathered and went the distance for a lay-up and was fouled with 0.5 left on the 2nd quarter clock. He converted the 'And 1', making the halftime score 33-24 in favor of Carrollton.
The host Warriors parlayed that dramatic finish to the first half into a great 3rd quarter, cutting the Carrollton advantage to 4 at 41-37. West Branch was able to take their first lead of the night just past the midway point in the final quarter, holding a 45-44 advantage as Carrollton took a time out with 2:36 on the clock.
Unfortunately for West Branch, their gallant effort to fight back from double digits took too much from them, as tired legs and a concerted defensive effort by Carrollton kept the hosts off the scoreboard the rest of the way. A Tayvian Johnson jumper and older brother Jayven Johnson's free throws were enough to secure the victory for the visitors by a final count of 48-45.
The victory moves Carrollton to 6-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play while the loss drops West Branch to 3-7 and 1-3 in EBC action.
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