Alva Review-Courier -

It was Senior Night Tuesday at the Alva High School basketball game against Woodward. With ten seniors on the team, Coach Shane Feely chose to start five of them. With the change in configuration, the Goldbugs had a slow start in scoring, trailing 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. As more of the usual starters rotated in, Alva added 22 points in the second quarter to lead 33-26 at halftime. The Goldbugs continued to stretch their lead, winning 78-52 against the Boomers.

First Half

Woodward led off with a three-pointer from Kyle Martin. Alva's Kyler Penco scored a basket, but Caden Reid and Kash Shipley scored to put Woodward up 7-2. Goldbug Weston Tucker sank a trey from the corner, but Woodward countered with a trey from Hunter Mosely. With Woodward up 10-5, the regular Alva starters took the floor. Daylon Malone stole the ball, took it to the rim and was fouled. He didn't make the free throw. Reid scored for Woodward, and Shipley hit a deep three-pointer to put Woodward ahead at 15-7. Tucker scored on a jump shot and Malone added a basket, but the Boomers led 15-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Malone started off the second quarter with a basket, and Jaxon Jones added a lay-up to tie the score. Baskets by Malone and Tucker gave the Goldbugs a 19-15 lead. Carter Reid made two free throws for Woodward. Jones scored an Alva basket on a put-back. Boomer Sam Cheap made a three point shot from the right wing to pull within one point of Alva's lead. Tucker hit back-to-back baskets to widen the Goldbug lead to 25-20. Lantz Mathers scored on a Penco assist. Then Malone pulled off a strip steal and went to the rim, giving Alva a nine point lead. Shipley cut into the margin with a trey, but Mathers made good on two free throws. Boomer Conner Sunderland scored a basket and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but an Alva lane violation gave him another chance and he made that one. Tucker finished out the half, making two free throw shots. At halftime, the Goldbugs led 33-26.

Second Half

Penco started off the second half by picking off a pass and taking it to the hoop. Sunderland scored on a stick-back. Then the Goldbugs increased their lead with a basket by Malone on a Penco assist followed by an Aiden Ruiz basket on a Penco assist and a basket by Penco. Jones finished out the 10-2 Alva scoring run with two points. The Goldbugs now led 43-28. Sunderland made two trips to the charity stripe, scoring on three of four attempts. Penco followed with a steal and a race to the hoop to score. Sunderland made two more free throws. Mathers and Tucker made Alva baskets for a 47-33 Goldbug lead. Sunderland was again at the free throw line, making two more points. Tucker followed with two free throws. Cheap hit his second trey of the game, and Alva led 51-38. Caden Reid was called for a technical foul, sending Tucker to the line where he made one of two shots. Malone finished out the quarter with two baskets, and Alva led 56-38.

Desiree Morehead

Alva's Jordan Lohmann (10) takes a jump shot over Woodward's Kash Shipley (21).

Caden Reid scored, was fouled and made the free throw to start the final period. He followed with another basket. Shipley scored a Boomer basket. Shipley then made one of two free throws, cutting Alva's lead to 10. Malone made good on one of two free throws. Penco sank a lay-up, and Malone scored a basket. Caden Reid scored off the glass for Woodward. The Goldbugs went on an 8-0 run with baskets from Malone, Tucker, Penco and Malone again. Caden Reid made two free throws. Penco made a 7-0 run for Alva with two baskets and a trey. Josh Hagemeier scored for Woodward, and Aiden Faison finished out the quarter with an Alva basket. The Goldbugs won 78-52.

Wrap-Up

Malone led the Goldbug scoring with 23 points followed by Tucker with 20 and Penco with 19. Jones and Mathers had six points each while Faison and Ruiz each had two.

Caden Reid led the Boomers with 13 points followed by Sunderland with 12 and Shipley with 11. Cheap had six points with three Martin and Mosely scoring three each while Carter Reid had two.

The Goldbugs are now 19-3 for the season as they head into the final game of the regular schedule at Woodward Monday night. Tipoff will be at 8 p.m.