JAY – A lot was on the line in the Mountain Valley Conference boys’ basketball game Friday night. The atmosphere provided a perfect backdrop as two undefeated teams battled down to the wire at the spacious Tigerdome.

Issac Stickney scored 12 of his team high 15 points in the second half as the Falcons rallied for a 45-43 victory against gutsy Jay.

Stickney scored the eventual game-winning basket with more than a minute left. Mountain Valley then received some key plays down the stretch, including a Byron Glaus rebound and a steal by Zach Fergola in the final seconds, to keep the Tigers at bay.

“We picked up our intensity in the second half,” Stickney said. “We had only scored two points in the first quarter and we all knew that (effort) wouldn’t be enough. I was just going with the flow of the offense in the fourth quarter and when I got open the shots were falling.”

Jay (3-1) had pulled within striking distance by draining eight straight free throws, including six by Justin Wells, who scored a game high 20 points. Marc Kelvey (seven points) made two free throws and Zach Charles added one. The Tigers benefited by penetrating the Falcons soft zone.

Mountain Valley (4-0) forged ahead in the third quarter as the teams combined for nine lead changes. The Falcons shot 57 percent in the frame and took the lead for good on a Marcus Palmer trey and a Stickney (six rebounds) lay-up at the buzzer.

“I’m definitely not taking anything away from Jay because they played a great game,” Mountain Valley coach Ryan Casey said. “But, we are not where we want to be at this point. There’s no (consistent) flow in the offense and we need to get our rotations down better. We’ve got a long way to go.”

Jay’s defense forced 22 turnovers and limited the Falcons to 35 percent shooting. Ryan DiPompo (nine points) and Brad Loon (six points) utilized their speed to disrupt the Falcons’ passing game.

Mountain Valley received excellent contributions underneath by Jared Oldham (nine rebounds), Travis Fergola (six points, seven rebounds) and freshman Andy Shorey (six rebounds). Glaus scored 10 points, highlighted by two big baskets off offensive rebounds in the second quarter.

Jay turned over the ball 21 times and shot 30 percent from the floor.

“The lack of backside rebounding was a big difference in the fourth quarter,” Jay coach Mike Child said. “Mountain Valley was flashing to the ball and getting (Stickney) open. But, we met our expectations tonight because we played a good game against a Class B power. I’m really proud of my kids because we proved that we can play against any team.”

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