Sports

Fall Mountain survives scare from Stevens 

By DAN BARILE 

Eagle Times Correspondent 

CLAREMONT, N.H. — After defeating Stevens by 32 points less than three weeks ago, it seemed all but certain that Fall Mountain would cruise to its seventh victory in its last eight tries when they traveled to Claremont on Tuesday night.  

Despite entering the game with only two wins on the season, Stevens was riding high after a 21-point win over Conant in its most recent contest.  

The Cardinals’ strong play continued on Tuesday, but behind a 24-point performance from Ledger Willett, Fall Mountain managed to escape town with a 59-56 victory.  

The likelihood of another Fall Mountain blowout quickly diminished during the opening minutes when Stevens raced out to a 9-2 lead after connecting on a trio of threes. The Wildcats battled back with some sharp shooting of its own, but Jacob Davis, Jacoby Roberts and Owen Wilkinson each connected on two shots from beyond the arc to help Stevens enter the half with a 27-25 edge.  

With Ledger Willett scoring at will, Fall Mountain looked like it might take control of the game after opening the second half on a 12-3 run. Despite Willett’s 11-point quarter, Stevens used a balance attack during the period to enter the final frame trailing by only four points.  

Stevens refused to go away in the fourth quarter, holding Fall Mountain scoreless over a three-and-a-half-minute stretch during which they tied the game at 52. With the Wildcats on the verge of finding themselves on the wrong end of an upset, they wisely leaned on their leading scorer down the stretch. Willett scored his team’s final five points and Fall Mountain forced a Stevens turnover on the final possession to hold on for a three-point win.  

In addition to Willett’s 24 points, Luke St. Pierre (9), Zach Hearne (8), Josh Town (8), and Evan Parker (7) also made significant contributions in the scoring column Fall Mountain (7-4). Jacoby Roberts (18), Jacob Davis (16), and Owen Wilkinson (12) were the top scorers for Stevens (2-9).