WILLIAMSBURG — Middlesboro and Williamsburg went toe-to-toe in a physical, whistle-filled matchup on Monday, combining for 64 free throws and 51 total fouls before Middlesboro emerged with a 51-47 victory.
The win moves Middlesboro to 2-1, while Williamsburg drops to 0-2.
Middlesboro set the tone early, jumping ahead 16-7 after the first quarter and maintaining a 23-19 advantage at halftime. Williamsburg fought back in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 36-35, but the Yellow Jackets from Bell County made just enough plays in the final period to hold on.
Mekhi Young delivered in crunch time for Middlesboro, scoring five of his 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Bryson Brooks also came up big late, knocking down two fourth-quarter 3-pointers and finishing with nine points. Joseph Killion added 14 points to lead the Jackets’ offensive effort.
Williamsburg’s Reece Hatcher was the game’s top scorer, pouring in 25 points while keeping his team within striking distance throughout. Mason Roundtree added eight points for the Jackets.
Despite the loss, Williamsburg coach Brandon Bargo saw plenty to build on.
“We really showed a lot of growth tonight and buckled in defensively and did a lot of good things,” he said. “I’m so proud of toughness we showed. Offensively, we are still a work in progress but we are getting better everyday. We are in win or learn mode right now. We got better tonight and we’ll continue to get better everyday we step on the court.”
