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Mounties explode in third quarter and hold off late run by Red Raiders for the win

By Kenny Varner

PHILIPSBURG – It was a Friday night delight for the Philipsburg-Osceola boys basketball team as they sizzled in the third and held on in the fourth to take a 63-52 victory over a tough Bellefonte team.

It was a game that would be close early on but rolled to a 23-point third quarter, gave them a 49-34 advantage heading into the final stanza.

Leading the way offensively for Philipsburg-Osceola was Jacob DeSimone with a game-high 21 points.

Jeremy Whitehead and brother Ryan chipped in with a 14-point and 13-point effort, respectively.

Bellefonte also had three players in double figures.

Blair Eckley-Jones led the way with 15 points.

Teammate Nick Way also provided a spark in the lane and beyond the three-point line dropping 13.

Rounding out the double-digit scoring was Davis Corman with 12.

Coming out of the intermission, the Mounties held a 26-23 advantage.

Philipsburg went right to the full court press in the third as Bellefonte called a timeout.

Coming out of the break, the Mounties continued to score as they clamped down on the Red Raiders offense adding another six points, making it a 39-25 advantage.

Way once again interrupted the scoring run.

But when the buzzer sounded ending the quarter, the Mounties  held a 49-34.

In the fourth Bellefonte continued to try to cut into the lead and did just that coming within 10 before the contest ended.

The Mounties scored the first points in the third quarter when DeSimone went from beyond the arc, upping it to a 6-point lead.

Ryan Whitehead took advantage of the press as the Red Raiders forced  a turnover and then finished with a jumper.

With seven minutes left in the quarter, DeSimone got the ball once again from beyond the three-point line and was nothing but net, finishing an 8-0 run.

In the opening period, PO went on a  4-0 lead.

Ryan Whitehead and DeSimone started the scoring with a 4-0 lead.

Way broke the scoring run as he went right through the middle of the key and layed it in.

Back battled the Mounties as they went on another run, this time it would be an 11-2 run.

DeSimone would once again lead the way in the scoring stint.

However, the Red Raiders refused to give up as they finished up on a

6-0 run on the shooting of Corman, Eckley-Jones and Cole Crissman.

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