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Boys Basketball: Metea Valley stays unbeaten with win over Neuqua Valley
Updated: December 16, 2011 10:40PM
They may have a target on their backs, but the Metea Valley basketball team is learning how to play with pressure and win.
Playing in front of the Comcast Game of the Week television cameras, the No. 24 Mustangs remained perfect Friday night. They got a game-high 28 points from senior guard Kenny Obendorf and claimed a 67-61 win over District 204 rival Neuqua Valley.
“Transition,” Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton said when asked what makes Metea so good. “They’re very good in transition. We’re just trailing. We’ve got five guys behind them when they’re making those layups.”
Metea Valley is 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the Upstate Eight Valley Conference. The host Wildcats fall to 4-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
“Obviously, playing a conference team like Neuqua, we know what each other runs,” said Metea Valley coach Bob Vozza, a former assistant to Sutton. “(Obendorf) started getting hot there in the second half and I started isolating (plays) for him. He’s done that in games before and he did an outstanding job tonight.”
Sean Davis scored the final five points of the first quarter to give the visitors a 13-8 lead heading into the second, and the Mustangs were clinging to a 28-27 advantage at the break.
Neuqua Valley opened the second half with a 6-1 run and led for the first time since the first quarter at 33-29. Metea responded with an 8-0 run, though, on the strength of back-to-back three-pointers from Obendorf and Lashawn Cargo (7 points) and a layup from Ryan Solomon (11 points) to take the lead for good at 37-33.
Obendorf said it started, though, with defense.
“Definitely,” said Obendorf. “That’s what our coaches stress, getting after it on the defensive end and then getting going with fastbreaks the other way.”
Neuqua cut the lead to 42-39 after three quarters, but Obendorf opened the fourth by hitting a pullup jumper and followed with a layup on a nice feed from Davis after missing a three-pointer.
Whenever Metea needed a big bucket, Obendorf was ready, scoring 22 of his points in the second half and helping his team survive a poor night from the free throw line. The Mustangs made just 14 of 27 free throws, including 10 of 20 in the second half.
Darien Miskel led the Wildcats with 14 points, and Tyler Sutton added 12 and Jabari Sandifer 10. Pat Kenny kept the hosts in it early, scoring four baskets on putbacks. He finished with just nine points, however.
Neuqua Valley had 11 baskets on putbacks.
“Pat Kenny killed us on the offensive glass,” Vozza said. “I should have shored that up in the second half.”
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