Pioneers fall short at Riverdale

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Brooks Majors crashes into the lane during first-half action at Riverdale between Kevin Smith and Scott Thomas (12). Majors was called for a charge on the play. (Rob Nunley photo)

MURFREESBORO ? Two teams which had yet to notch a district victory battled here Friday night, when the Pioneers traveled to take on Riverdale.

And although the Pioneers led by as many as nine points in the first half, the Warriors countered with a 12-0 scoring run and never lost its lead again on the way to handing Warren County a 56-47 defeat.

Scott Thomas led the way for the Warriors with 19 points, including seven during Riverdale’s second-quarter run. Despite missing the early weeks of the season due to his duties as the Warrior football team’s starting quarterback, Thomas looked to have made the transition from gridiron to hardwood with ease, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers to help keep the Pioneers at bay.

Warren County (5-4, 0-3 in district play), which trailed 26-22 at the half, had to contend for much of the night with the loss of two of its starters. Senior Adam Wood spent much of the game’s middle periods on the bench in foul trouble, and classmate Terrin Martin did not make the trip with the team, as he is currently suspended for a violation of team rules. Details on Martin’s situation were unavailable, as neither coach Ryan Smith nor athletic director Andy Jacobs were at liberty to comment on the situation.

Despite missing those two regulars, the Pioneers kept themselves in the game throughout the third quarter and much of the fourth. Back-to-back baskets form Warren Swann late in the third pulled WCHS within a possession at 36-34, and a Shay Glenn 3-pointer followed by two Brooks Majors free throws made it a 47-45 Warrior lead with four minutes to play.

But two more freebies at the 2:41 mark would be all the offense the Pioneers would produce down the stretch, as Riverdale successfully kept the ball away from its guests, forcing Warren County to foul in an attempt to conserve clock.

With 17 ticks remaining Thomas hit two attempts from the stripe, providing Riverdale with its largest lead of the game and what would prove to be the final margin of victory.

Majors led the way for WCHS with 15 points, while Swann fought his way to the basket for much of the night and finished with 13. Glenn had 10, while Wood, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter, finished with five.

The Warriors got 15 more points from junior Kevin Smith, while Michael Young had seven.

Warren County’s next scheduled action will be in the Tri-Star Sports Classic at Gallatin, which is scheduled for Dec. 19 and 20.