Athens (3-11, 2-4 Tri-Valley Conference) got out to a hot start in its game against Logan (8-6) on Friday night. It hit two quick 3-pointers to forge an early lead. However, its strong play didn’t last much longer. Multiple turnovers and Athens’ poor defensive rebounding gave Logan the lead, and it never looked back. Logan took home a 47-34 win to leave Athens winless on the road.
The Chieftains ended the first quarter with a dominant 10-2 scoring run to give themselves a slim four-point lead. The Bulldogs played in a zone defense for the vast majority of the game. This defense proved effective early on, as it helped Athens force turnovers. But its effectiveness wore off in short order.
As the zone faded, Logan became more efficient beyond the arc. Logan guard Ashton Mahaffey opened the second quarter with an easy 3-pointer. Athens pulled itself together long enough to cut the deficit to three points, but its efforts were in vain. Logan went on another scoring run to bury Athens in a deep hole.
Logan carried a 23-15 lead into halftime, and Athens turned to the drawing board.
Athens center Derrick Walsh opened the second half with a clean shot to cut the deficit to six. Walsh, Athens’ leading scorer, was reliable on both sides of the ball. Walsh blocked shots on the defensive end and ended the night with 14 points.
Despite Walsh’s strong play in the third quarter, Logan was able to create separation. It had built an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Chieftains offense went to work in the fourth quarter, and they soon had a 15-point lead in their hands. The Bulldogs continued to chip away at the score, but it was too little, too late. The Chieftains walked away with their eighth victory of the year, and Athens hit the road empty handed.
