By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

The penultimate game of Wednesday’s Hoop City Classic featured a pair of high-scoring guards in White River’s Joe Sayler (26 points) and Bridgewater-Emery’s Sutton Arend (23 points). White River’s Nicolas Marshall added 20 points, while Bridgewater-Emery’s Jaxon Koch scored 11 points.  

The game featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes. White River’s five-point lead with 4:52 left in the second quarter represented the largest lead for either team. 

“I think we were fortunate to be in a seesaw battle,” White River coach Eldon Marshall said. “I think they really played well and Sutton was so tough to guard and we got into a little bit of foul trouble, but our guys adjusted.”

The contest was knotted up at 17-17 after the first quarter and White River led 30-27 at halftime. The Tigers were clinging to a 46-44 advantage after the third period. 

Bridgewater-Emery’s Ben Weber drilled a 3-pointer for a 58-54 advantage with 1:35 left. The Huskies extended their lead to 61-56, but Marshall nailed a 3-pointer to get within 61-59 with 1:14 left. 

The score stayed the same until White River forced Bridgewater-Emery into a turnover and Folkers was open for the game-winning 3-pointer. 

“We were able to make a play,” Eldon Marshall said. “We have been waiting to make that play for a couple years it seems. So it was good for us to get the play and Joe. They were all over him and he hit a great pass to Gavin and that’s his shot right there. Inside-out look and he knocked it down.”