Zane Trace Survives Upset Scare With OT Win Over Westfall

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Coach Gary Kellough’s Zane Trace Pioneers needed to rally to send their SVC boys basketball game into overtime, where they prevailed over the Westfall Mustangs 65-60 in OT, to remain unbeaten in SVC play.

The Pioneers looked like they would blow the Mustangs out of the Zane Trace gym to start the game, taking leads of 8-0 and 13-2, before Westfall battled back to within 16-9 at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, the Mustangs had that lead down to 28-26, before the Pioneers extended their advantage to 47-41 after three quarters.

But the early fourth quarter belonged to Westfall as the Mustangs went on an 11-0 scoring run to take their first lead of the game at 49-47 with 6:12 remaining. They built that lead to 52-47 and equaled their biggest advantage of five points to 58-53 with 2:20 remaining But, the Pioneers went on their own scoring run to get within 58-56 with 1:43 to play.

The Mustangs held the ball for most of the remainder of regulation, but missed a 1-and-1 free throw opportunity that gave Zane Trace one more chance in regulation, which is all they needed. After a missed inside shot by ZT’s Nalin Robinson, the Pioneers’ Kyle Stonerock rebounded and muscled his put-back shot into the bucket before the buzzer, to send the contest to overtime at 58-58.

Landon Robinson’s three-point goal gave the Pioneers a 61-58 lead after a couple of minutes of OT play, which ZT would not relinquish the rest of the game. Nalin Robinson, who had been quiet in the scoring column most of the game, connected on two separate 1-and-1 free throw opportunities for a 63-58 lead, and later at 65-60, after Westfall and cut the deficit to 63-60 on a Blake Bugher bucket.

Zane Trace was led in scoring by Xzander Ream with 23 points. Landon Robinson had 13 points, Brock Jarrell 11, Kyle Stonerock with 8 points- including the bucket to send the game to overtime, to go with his 7 rebounds.

Westfall had 21 points from Casey Cline, all coming through the first three quarters. Blake Bugher had 18 points, Brody Clark with 15.

Zane Trace improves to (10-0) in the SVC and (13-3) overall, while Westfall drops to (7-3/9-8).

(8-2) Paint Valley beat Unioto 64-58, to remain two games back of Zane Trace with four to play in the SVC.