Hodges double-double not enough for Columbus

COLUMBUS JUNCTION - Moral victories do not count and nor does having a lead for three fourths of a game. That was the Columbus Wildcat situation Thursday against West Liberty when the Comets closed the game on a 16-4 run to win 47-43 in the nonconference battle.

Mason Hodges put up 14 points, took down 12 rebounds, blocked four shots and doled out a pair of assists, but committed his fifth foul with 1 minute, 10 seconds remaining with an offensive foul that turned the ball over. Hector Adams only 3-pointer of the game followed and at 43-41, West Liberty led for the first time since the second quarter.

Trailing 11-8 after the opening frame, Columbus took control with an 11-2 run in the final minutes of the first half to lead 23-17 at the break.

It was a 31-26 lead to start the fourth quarter that grew to 39-31 when West Liberty coach James Laughlin called time with 2:22 remaining in the game.

From there, full court pressure and a hounding defense created havoc for a team whose senior point guard did not play because he 'caught a bug,” according to Columbus head coach Miguel Villagrana. 'The last minutes we just did not feel well with the pressure they brought. We had a sophomore manning that point guard position and that can make a difference when you're dealing with pressure, but Grant (Watson) did great.”

In fact, he was the only Wildcat to score in the last 2 minutes of the game. Senior Owen Watson scored all eight of his points in the second half. Justus Lekwa also scored eight. Joseph Zaehringer and Daniel Martinez each scored two and Marco Martinez hit a 3-pointer to end the first half.

'Joey (Zaehringer) came in and played hard, he rebounded and played defense,” Villagrana said. 'Our M.O. has been one guy rebounding and we have to do a better job at the end of the game. Their shortest guy on the floor was getting all of the rebounds in the last minutes and giving up those rebounds was the killer, more than the turnovers.”

The turnovers did not help, though, and the Wildcats first four possessions of the second half ended in turnovers without a shot, prompting a Villagrana timeout.

'We have a rule that you don't pass from one side to the opposite side of the floor and I said the next guy that does it, has to sit out, but that's tongue-in-cheek because we really don't have much of a bench,” Villagrana said. 'We are not used to playing with the lead and I have to take some responsibility for the loss because when they weren't pressuring, I wanted us to slow it down and take our time.”

Columbus led WACO in its last game and did not try to run time off the clock and lost.

'Maybe I should have then and maybe I shouldn't have tonight,” said Villagrana, who is a Columbus graduate and just took over the head coaching job this season.

West Liberty had been out of school and had just five days of practice before Thursday's game.

'It was kind of interesting since I didn't know what we would have, but the kids played hard,” Laughlin said. 'We got some steals and some turnovers and that was the difference in the game. A win is a win and we'll take it anyway we can get it.”

Against Waco Villagrana said the Wildcats let one get away because they didn't match WACO's intensity. 'I did not feel that's what happened here. We are better than we were two weeks ago. We have to focus on what we did well, but not regard it as a moral victory.”