MORGAN -- The Morgan Trojans won their fifth straight game Tuesday night, but it took a complete effort to overcome a very strong Logan team.
Jake Miles scored 17 points, Boston Saunders added 16 and Colby Skinner and Christian Wiscombe contributed 12 points apiece as the Trojans (11-3) knocked off the Grizzlies 68-62 in a competitive non-league battle.
The two teams were closely matched and the 30-30 halftime score was indicative of that. There were also five ties and 14 lead changes during the course of the game. The most important lead change came with just over 2:30 left in the fourth quarter when Josh Duncan banked in a short jumper to give the Trojans a 60-59 lead it would never relinquish. The basket was Duncan's only two points of the game.
"The kids kept playing great defense and just competed," Morgan coach Jim Wiscombe said. "It was a great high school game, a great atmosphere. The student body's into it, the town's into it, and that's what it's all about."
While Jim Wiscombe was pleased with the play of all of his players, he was particularly impressed with Skinner's and Duncan's contributions off the bench.
"Sometimes people put emphasis on starter or non-starter," he said. "But I don't believe in that at all. Foul trouble is the opportunity the kids on the bench wait for and when that opportunity comes, they've got to step up."
The intense atmosphere nearly boiled over at times, resulting in the referees conferring with one another on several occasions to ensure correct calls were made.
With just under a minute to play and Morgan clinging to a three-point lead, the Trojans' Christian Wiscombe was caught in the backcourt for several seconds, resulting in what was at first ruled a 10-second violation. Meanwhile, all four Morgan coaches were jumping up and down screaming for a timeout. But the crowd was so loud, the officials didn't notice. After two conferences, the referees ultimately decided to give the ball back to the Trojans, who were able to make free throws down the stretch and secure the win.
Russell Murphy and Luke Falk each hit three 3-pointers for Logan (9-3) and finished with 13 points apiece.
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