Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

Judge Williams delivered the verdict and carried out the sentence as well.

The St. Joseph senior guard made a game-saving defensive play as the Flyers edged the Rock Hill Redmen 43-42 on Tuesday.

Rock Hill was working for the final shot when Williams dove on the floor for a loose ball on the final possession of the game and got control of the ball to prevent the Redmen from getting off a shot.

“We didn’t have the same intensity as we did the last game,” Flyers’ coach Kevin Sheridan said referring to last Friday’s upset win over Raceland.

“Zac McGraw stepped up big to give us a big boost off the bench. Judge Williams came up with a big play at the end of the game to prevent them from getting the last shot.”

McGraw — who has missed the past few weeks with an injury — came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points to lead the Flyers (4-11). Chase Walters added 12 points in the win and Isaac Whaley had nine points on three 3-point goals.

Rock Hill (0-17) was led by Mason Darby with 13 points. Tyler Damron and Brady Knipp added nine points each.

Whaley hit all three of his trifectas in the first quarter and Walters scored six points as St. Joseph took a 16-11 lead. Knipp and Darby combined for nine of Rock Hill’s points.

McGraw and Darby matched each other with five points in the second quarter as each team mustered only seven points and the Flyers led 23-18 at the half.

“We continued our struggles offensively and we weren’t defending, either. We had a 10-point lead in the second quarter and then we got impatient on the offensive end and took some quick shots,” said Sheridan.

Rock Hill rallied in the third quarter and led by as many as five points before leading 32-31.

The Redmen stretched the lead back to five midway through the fourth quarter, but McGraw scored 10 points and the Redmen were only 4-of-9 from the foul line in the quarter.

St. Joseph hosts Portsmouth Notre Dame at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in a makeup game and visits Portsmouth Clay on Saturday.

Rock Hill is at Coal Grove on Friday.

Rock Hill 11 7 14 10 = 42

St. Joseph 16 7 8 12 = 43

ROCK HILL (0-17): Tyler Damron 0 2 3-7 9, Alex Nance 0 0 2-4 2, Nathan Turvey 0 0 0-0 0, Brady Knipp 3 1 0-0 9, Mason Darby 3 1 4-4 13, Jaret Bacorn 2 0 0-0 4, Cameron Barnette 2 0 1-3 7. Totals: 10 4 10-18 42. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.

SAINT JOSEPH (4-11): Judge Williams 0 0 0-0 0, Isaac Whaley 0 3 0-0 9, Clay Willis 0 0 0-0 0, Tyler Ward 1 0 1-3 3, Chase Walters 4 0 4-6 12, Zac McGraw 7 0 4-11 18, Tre Neal 0 0 1-2 1. Totals: 12 3 10-22 43. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.