Defense is the key in Dan River’s win over Morehead

Dan River’s defensive intensity in the second half helped the third-seeded Wildcats pull away for a 53-31 victory over Morehead in the opening game of the Register & Bee Holiday Shootout at the Grant Center on Friday.

In the fourth quarter, Dan River (8-0) used pressure to force steals, which the Wildcats turned into easy transition baskets that changed the complexion of the game.

“They picked up their pressure and our turnovers hurt us,” Morehead coach John Harder said. “I think they must have converted on every turnover.”

The Wildcats, who were ahead 32-22 entering the fourth quarter, scored 21 points in the final period to pull away. Darren White’s steal and reverse dunk helped spark the run, but it was White’s production in the third quarter that gave Dan River the cushion it needed.

Morehead (1-8) opened the second half with a quick basket, which cut the Wildcats’ lead to 20-17. The Panthers kept it a two-possession game until White scored Dan River’s final eight points of the quarter — the last four on dunks.

“I think our defense really sparks us,” Dan River coach Jacob Gruse said. “We get those deflections and those steals, and it’s amazing what a dunk will do in a high school game. It just totally changed the momentum.”

White finished with a game-high 16 points after being held to only five points in the first half. He also had five steals. Trey Edmunds added eight points for the Wildcats.

The sixth-seeded Panthers kept Dan River’s offense in check for most of the first half by slowing the tempo down. It worked almost to perfection, as the Wildcats struggled to find their rhythm.

“Our team likes to run and gun,” White said. “We are always pushing the ball. When they slowed it down, it wasn’t our game at all. It definitely frustrated us.”

Although Morehead controlled the pace, the Panthers were behind for most of the first half. Harder’s squad scored a lot of its early baskets in transition, but struggled when shooting in the halfcourt offense.

“We missed some shots in the first half that really hurt us,” Harder said. “If we would have made some of those shots, I think we obviously could have been ahead at halftime, based on some of the shots we would have hit.”

Jason Woodall led Morehead with 12 points.

Dan River advanced to play Eastern Alamance at 6 p.m. today. Morehead will face Chatham at 1:30 p.m.