By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
For three quarters Calhoun played the best basketball it has played all season, especially in the third quarter when it hammered Doddridge and threatened to make a route out of the game.
Unfortunately a basketball game has four quarters as the Red Devils sadly learned Friday night as home-standing Doddridge rallied to beat Calhoun 61-53.
Calhoun was leading 45-36 heading into the fourth period when things suddenly went awry.
First a Calhoun basket was whistled off. That basket would have put the Red Devils up by 11 and continued the momentum.
After Doddridge scored Calhoun made four straight turnovers and Doddridge converted four straight times to cut the margin to one.
Calhoun appeared to push the lead back out to three but Zach Moore was whistled for a charging call -- his fourth -- and the basket was taken away.
On the other end of the court Doddridge scored to take a one-point 46-45 lead. It was a lead the Bulldogs, now 10-10, would never surrender although Calhoun kept it close until Doddridge started taking a lot of foul shots ... and making them. Overall Doddridge made eight of eight free throws in the final period.
Calhoun coach Danny Bunch said, "we had them and let it get away."
And that's exactly what happened as Calhoun dropped to 4-16 on the season.
Moore led all scorers with 22 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Keesler finally found his shooting touch and bombed in 12 points to go along with his four steals.
They were backed by Justin Gerwig with nine points and 10 rebounds while Chucky Kendall added seven points and three steals. Anthony Richards rounded out the scoring with three points.
Dan Sims and Tyler Bennett both played but did not score.
Doddridge was led by 6-7 Matt Middleton, who had 15 points, nine rebounds, eight blocked shots and three assist. Nick Mires also added 15 points for the Bulldogs while Tim Curtis chipped in with 11 more.
Doddridge also won the junior varsity game by a 72-31 count despite a 20-point outburst by Brandon Sampson.
Greg Myers was next in the scoring parade for Calhoun with three while Joe Overbaugh, Stewart Fitzwater, Sims and Richards added two each. Bennett, CJ Myers, Quinton Murphy and Noah Sweeney all played but did not score.
Calhoun returns to action Wednesday night when it travels to Parkersburg Catholic for a doubleheader. The Red Devils end their regular season Thursday when they entertain Wahama in a pair.
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