PINEVILLE — Pineville withstood a late rally to earn a 54–51 win over Oneida Baptist on Friday night, improving the Mountain Lions to 2-4 on the season while the Mountaineers slipped to 3-3.
Pineville set the tone early, taking a 16-9 lead at the end of the first quarter before stretching the advantage to 30-19 at halftime. The Mountain Lions continued to control the pace in the third quarter, carrying a 47-36 lead into the final period.
Oneida Baptist made a push in the fourth quarter, but Pineville answered down the stretch to keep the Mountaineers from completing the comeback.
Preston Zachery led Pineville with 14 points, while Anderson Gentry added 12. For Oneida Baptist, Tommy Branstutter scored a game-high 17 points and Skyler Roberts finished with 12.
Pineville coach Brad Levy was pleased with his team’s effort and execution following a quick turnaround.
“We played extremely hard tonight and executed offensively as well as we have to this point in the season,” he said. “We beat a very good OBI team that in my opinion is capable of beating many teams in this region on any given night.
“I’m very proud of our kids for how they responded in a positive way on a quick turnaround from a loss last night,” Levy added. “Each time we touch the floor together we’re getting better in some areas. We need to keep learning and growing and piece it all together for four quarters.”
