Perrysburg senior Gavin Fenneken (1) going up for the layup at Anthony Wayne’s Dick Albaugh Physical Education and Athletic Center. (Drake Harlett|Sentinel-Tribune)
By Ben Shanahan
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
WHITEHOUSE — Senior Matthew Hubbard scored 20 points as Perrysburg beat Anthony Wayne in the packed Dick Albaugh Physical Education and Athletic Center, 66-46, on Tuesday.
Perrysburg improves to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in the Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division, while AW falls to 4-7 overall and the Generals are winless in three NLL games.
It did not seem like AW had a chance against Perryburg from the tip-off, as every time the Generals would get momentum in their favor, the Yellow Jackets had an answer.
“They are very athletic and very physical, and we knew we had to match that, and I thought we did that from the beginning,” said Perrysburg coach Dave Boyce.
For AW coach Josh Arthur, things did not go his team’s way. For that, he credited the Yellow Jackets’ execution.
“They just executed really well today,” Arthur said. “Perrysburg did everything exceptional. Hubbard played great.
“That is the best I have seen of him in two years. We are going to get back in the gym tomorrow and be ready for Napoleon on Friday,” added Arthur.
Hubbard went off for the Yellow Jackets, leading the team in scoring even while sitting out most of the fourth quarter.
“I feel really good about building some momentum now, and we have been putting in the hard work. Big rival game, we all took it seriously and just did our thing,” said Hubberd
It was all Perrysburg from the tip as they would take an early 2-0 lead with guard Austin Schultz opening up the scoring for the Yellow Jackets with a slick layup.
Anthony Wayne senior Griffin Pike would take the lead back with a huge three, making the score 3-2 in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for the Generals, that would be their last lead of the game as Perrysburg would go on a 21-7 run to end the first quarter. Starting off the run was Hubbard, who faked a three and then brought it to the rack, making the game 4-3.
Five points later, Perrysburg junior Carter Young’s dunk would force the AW coaches to burn a timeout, but it would not help as the first quarter ended with a Schultz buzzer beater to close the first eight minutes.
The second started in favor of Perrysburg as Shultz stole the rock to put Perrysburg up, 23-7. Shortly after, the Generals got a much-needed basket from junior Blake Robinson to start a small 4-0 run.
Shultz silenced the Generals’ crowd just as it was getting some life with a big three-pointer and ending the little momentum AW had.
Hubbard splashed a three in his defender’s face, and just like that, Perysburg was back on a 6-0 run and forced the Generals to regroup with another timeout with the Jackets leading comfortably, 30-11.
Blake and Will Robinson nailed two big threes for Anthony Wayne, ending the first half 36-17 but the Yellow Jackets headed to halftime with a commanding lead.
Perrysburg start off the second half on a commanding 5-0 run, forcing the AW coaches to call an early timeout after Perrysburg senior Gavin Fenneken hit a huge three.
After the timeout, Hubbard turned a 5-0 run into a 7-0 run with a slick two-point basket to make it 43-17. Yellow Jackets
AW forwarded Hayden Bender ended the run with a two-point basket, but this is when the Yellow Jackets picked up their tempo and finish the third quarter up, 52-25.
The fourth quarter went better for the Generals, as they started with two big three-pointers but then went back and forth for the rest of the final eight minutes.
