Chesterland, OH -- There's often an old saying that teams aim to play their best basketball at the end of the season, and the West Branch boys basketball team is proving that to be true as they're hitting their stride at the perfect time. Last night, they made the long trip up to West Geauga for what turned out to be a jam-packed house in their gym and an awesome basketball game. Despite trailing for most of the game, the Warriors made big plays in key moments in the final two minutes to secure a 44-39 victory.

To start the game, West Geauga came out in a zone defense, making it difficult for West Branch to score. The Warriors were down early, 7-1, but managed to grab a 12-10 lead thanks to two big first-quarter threes by Camden Lane, before West Geauga retook the lead at 15-12 to close out the quarter

Solid defense and sloppy play plagued both teams in the second quarter. West Branch scored three of their five points from the free-throw line, but once again, their defense stood strong, holding the Wolverines to just five points in the quarter. An electrifying play from Jeremiah Thomas, as he sliced through the defense and finished at the rim, provided a much-needed energy boost to close out the half.

With the score at 24-20 in favor of West Geauga in the third, Cooper Anderson drove baseline and finished with a tough reverse layup to cut the lead to 24-22 at the 5:14 mark. From there, West Geauga went on a 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 31-22. However, Coach Loudon's team didn't blink. They stayed focused and closed out the quarter on a 6-0 run, cutting the lead to just three heading into the final frame.

In the fourth, it was time for the boys in green to step up. It started with Jeremiah Thomas drilling two free throws, bringing the lead down to 31-30, and then a bucket to make it 33-32 with 3:33 remaining. Moments later, trailing by three, Camden Lane nailed a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 35. Once again, the Wolverines found a way to retake the lead.

Anderson drove hard to the basket and got fouled, giving him a chance to tie the game, but he missed both free throws. However, Gavin Gregory crashed the boards, grabbed an aggressive rebound, and put it back for an and-one opportunity. He missed the free throw, but the ball was tapped out, giving West Branch another possession. After a timeout from Coach Loudon, Jeremiah Thomas hit a tough floater to give West Branch their first lead of the game at 41-39, a lead they hadn't seen since early in the first quarter. The defense locked in, and the Warriors sealed the game with clutch free throws down the stretch to win 44-39.

Top Performers:

• Cooper Anderson led the Warriors with 13 points.
• Jeremiah Thomas had a huge fourth quarter, finishing with 8 points and a perfect 4-4 at the free-throw line.
• Camden Lane buried three big triples, finishing with 9 points.
• Gavin Gregory threw down another monster jam and scored 8 points.

What's Next: West Branch advances to the district championship, looking to settle unfinished business after last year's heartbreaking 51-49 loss. The Warriors will face off against top-seeded Canfield on Saturday at 1:00 PM at North Ridgeville High School.