Tri-County tops Farmers to remain unbeaten

By JOE SABOLEK

For the MV Independent

Tri-County Realty remained unbeaten in the J. Budd Grebb Memorial Summer Basketball League Tuesday by defeating Farmers Insurance, 77-61, to finish the first half of the season at 5-0.

Tri-County used a balance scoring attack and solid defense to hold Farmers’ three leading scorers to just 40 points between them.

“They did a fantastic job and guys like Legend Davis and Devin Whitlock are just athletes, they get a lot of boards, they get there quick and they’re explosive, (Jared) Hartman as well. So our guys did a really good job with that,” said Tri-County Realty head coach Aaron Balla. “But we were level-headed tonight and they just held off those athletes all night.”

Both teams traded baskets early on as Farmers pulled away early in the first half behind the play of the Belle Vernon Area trio of Whitlock, Hartman and Cam Nusser. With 6:35 in the first, Hartman nailed back-to back 3-pointers, one a fadeaway from the corner that sent the crowd into a frenzy. But Tri-County responded with a run of their own behind the play of BVA’s Tyler Kovatch. Kovatch scored six straight points for Tri-County and gave them a five point lead at 27-22.

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