By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Somewhere along the line losing close or well-played games just doesn't cut it anymore. In other words there is no moral victory.
Friday night Calhoun reached, or came very close to, that point in a 75-67 overtime loss to visiting Wirt County.
Calhoun coach Danny Bunch said Calhoun should have won it. He said when Ethyn Miller hit a three-point shot late in the game that he was sure that was it.
But it wasn't.
Instead Wirt somehow got the ball and went the length of the court to score on a layup to tie the game with less than 10 seconds remaining.
Still, there was time.
Calhoun took the ball down and with the clock running out Ryan Slider took off on a drive toward the basket only to have an official blow his whistle.
It was, the official said, an inadvertent whistle because he thought he heard the buzzer go off.
Calhoun kept the ball but with 1.4 seconds remaining was unable to successfully get a good shot off.
In overtime it was all Wirt.
After taking a quick lead the Tigers went to the foul line a lot hitting 10 of 12 free throws in the four minute overtime period. Wirt also got four points and two blocked shots from tall Tristan Nichols to put the cap on things by outscoring the Red Devils, 14-6.
Calhoun, 3-8, was led by Sam Brady with 19 points and 12 rebounds. He was one of five Red Devils to score in double figures. Slider was next with 13 points while Tyler Sims added 12, Miller 11 and Tyler Gerwig 10.
Mason Sheldon with two was the only other Red Devil to score although Lucas Wilson played but did not score.
Austin McVey led Wirt with 24 while Dustin Garner had 14 and Kalob Bell 11.
Mark Cunningham had nine for the 3-9 Tigers as Luke Smith , Nichols and Hunter McCoy all had five.
Wirt also won the junior varsity game by a score of 47-44 despite William Baker's 20 point effort for the Red Devils.
Baker was backed by Dylan Heiney with eight while Luke Sheldon added five, Dakota Jarvis four, Zack Yanero, Riley Cain and Nick Watkins with two each and Austin Gribble with one.
Wirt was led by TJ Conley with 12 and Jason Ellison with 11.
Calhoun will try to get on the winning track tonight (Monday) when it travels to Ritchie County. Wirt, which played Clay Saturday night. Will play at Roane County tonight.
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