Commodores overcome sloppy start to topple one-win Scotties

By JAMIE RANKIN

For the MV Independent

After getting its first win of the season a night earlier against Brownsville, the Southmoreland boys basketball team suffered a setback Friday in the form of a 54-39 non-section loss to visiting Frazier. 

But head coach Frank Muccino saw some things about which he could be happy.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is probably the fifth out of six games that we’ve gotten behind, 10-0, 9-0. The other four ended up in blowouts. This one ended up in a competitive game into the fourth quarter.”

In fact, the Scotties (1-5) trailed just 41-35 before the Commodores went on an 11-3 run in the middle of the last quarter. 

The game didn’t at first appear as though it would be that competitive, as Frazier (5-2) scored the first 10 points of the contest, keeping Southmoreland off the board until nearly six minutes into the game. By the end of the first quarter, the Commodores had a 13-5 advantage.

Luke Santo, who led Frazier with 13 points, and Owen Newcomer, who followed with 12, extended their team’s lead as the second period began.

But Southmoreland chipped away, reeling off 11 straight points to trail just 19-18. Kelvin Lin, who tallied a game-high 14 points, and Ronnie Collins each sank a 3-pointer during the stretch.

The Commodores managed to stay just ahead, as a free throw from Chase Hazelbaker helped them to a 20-18 edge at the half.

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