HS Boys Basketball: Huntington explodes early to defeat Woodrow Wilson

Highlanders build a 21-point lead after three quarters en route to a 70-61 win

The Huntington boys basketball team came to Beckley Saturday night as a bit of an unknown product.

Sure, the Highlanders were 3-1 on the season, but only one game had been against a West Virginia squad.

When Huntington left the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center after a 70-61 win over Woodrow Wilson, the Highlanders looked like a team ready to compete for a Class AAAA title.

Huntington head coach Lambros Svingos talked about the win over the Flying Eagles.

The home team only trailed by four points after the first quarter, but the next eight minutes put Woodrow Wilson in a deep hole that it could never climb out of the remainder of the night.

A five minute scoring drought for the Flying Eagles allowed the visitors to push the lead to 13 points before Preston Clary scored two of his 24 points on the night.

However, when the halftime horn sounded, Huntington was in command up 33-18 after Woodrow Wilson went 2-for-16 from the floor.

The deficit was 21 points after three quarters before the Flying Eagles heated up for 30 points in the final period.

Woodrow Wilson knocked down 11 long balls on the night with five coming in the final eight minutes of play.

Huntington also connected on 11 triples with eight coming Pierson Dejneka who scored a game-high 25 points.

Ethan Daulton added 14 for the Highlanders and Tayveon Wilson scored 13 points.

Jahden Robinson scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and had 17 in the game for the Flying Eagles.

H: 16 17 19 18 - 70

WW: 12 6 13 30 - 61

Huntington

Pierson Dejneka 25, Ethan Dalton 14, Isaiah Lapsley 7, Tayveon Wilson 13, Nate Hannah 2, Max Bohren 6. Totals: 25 9-13 70

Woodrow Wilson

Lucas Raney 3, Preston Clary 24, A.J. Thomas 4, Gage Burdette 4, Kingston Clark 9, Jahden Robinson 17. Totals 22 6-9 61

3-pointers: H 11 (Dejneka 8, Daulton 2, Lapsley); WW 11 (Clary 4, Raney, Thomas, Robinson 5)