CUMBERLAND — When the going got tough, Fort Hill upped its intensity on defense and on the glass, and it won them the basketball game.
Allegany jumped on Fort Hill to the tune of 14 points in the first 3:46 of the second half, slimming its deficit to 32-31 after a pair of Chris Manherz free throws with 4:14 left in the third quarter.
Fort Hill’s stifling defense held its crosstown rival to just eight points over the final 12 minutes and 14 seconds — including a more than four-minute scoreless drought to begin the fourth quarter — to sew up the victory.
Jameson Powell-Morris and Liam Hamilton combined for 38 points, the Sentinels dominated the boards 37-21, and second-ranked Fort hill defeated No. 4 Allegany, 53-38, Saturday to push its winning streak to eight games.
“We played a hard game for four quarters,” Fort Hill head coach Thad Burner said. “I thought we wore them down a little bit there in the fourth quarter. … They cut it to one, and we just challenged the kids. After that, I thought we were pretty good.
“I think the second time you play a big rivalry game, this time around they were a lot more composed.”
Fort Hill (13-3 overall, 6-1 Western Maryland Athletic Conference) has not lost since dropping a 56-50 home decision to Allegany (10-6, 4-4 WestMAC) on Jan. 9.
The Sentinels, winners in 11 of their past 12 games, were led offensively by Powell-Morris’ 21 points and eight rebounds. Hamilton added 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Landyn Green pulled down eight boards.
Manherz, who averages more than 23 points per game, finished with 15 points, but he was limited to four points in the first half. Hamilton drew the assignment on defense and used his quickness and frame to give the lightning-fast guard trouble.
Since its win over Fort Hill, Allegany has a 3-4 mark.
“I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but it’s just not being able to rebound the basketball, not being able to score it,” Allegany head coach Brandon Reed said. “When we’re in the moment, we feel pretty good about the shots the guys are getting, and we’re just not making them.”
Fort Hill took a 36-32 lead into the fourth quarter, where the Sentinels proceeded to go on an 8-0 run.
Allegany didn’t make its first bucket of the decider until the 3:23 mark, a Manherz layup, but the Campers were held to just five points in the period.
Fort Hill starters Jacob Bone, Neek Taylor and Anthony Palumbo combined for 10 points on offense. However, they contributed to other facets of the game, particularly on the defensive end.
“Guys are understanding that they have a job to do, and when they do their job, we’re successful,” Burner said. “We talk about that a lot at practice. If you’re good at something, do it. If you’re not good at something, try not to do it. And I think they do understand that from a defensive standpoint.”
Teams have given Manherz more attention over Allegany’s last six games, cheating on help defense and doubling at times in an effort to get the ball out of his hands or force a contested shot.
Manherz tried to get his teammates more involved in the first half, and Allegany’s first six buckets came from six players.
However, the Campers had just six field goals at the half, and Manherz’s four points led the team.
Sebastian Stewart finished second on Allegany with seven points, Landon Holliday added six on two 3-pointers, and Owen Rice pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
Fort Hill was ahead 10-8 after the first quarter. After Allegany took a 13-10 advantage, the Sentinels went on a 12-2 run to take control, eventually leading 24-17 at intermission.
Manherz garnered nine quick points early in the third quarter to get Allegany close, but when the senior cooled, the Campers didn’t have an answer.
“We’re not playing very confident basketball,” Reed said. “When we were on that tear (in the third quarter), we were so confident. We were in passing lanes, we were getting a lot of steals.
“It’s too much half-court basketball right now. We’ve got to get up and down, we’ve got to get steals, we’ve got to get stops and rebounds and we’ve got to go out and run, and we’re just not getting out and running right now.”
Fort Hill defeated Allegany, 45-41, in the junior varsity game. EJ Scott led the Sentinels with 17 points, and Levi House added 14.
Dylan Irons (13 points), Dylan Hare (12) and Kyran Freeman (10) were the Alco JVs’ leading scorers.
Allegany received a forfeit victory over Bishop Walsh for the game originally scheduled for Monday.
The Campers head to Hampshire (0-15) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Fort Hill has beaten East Hardy and Mountain Ridge twice, and Southern and Allegany during its run, and the Sentinels’ stretch doesn’t get any easier.
Fort Hill welcomes McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, unbeaten with a 21-0 record, to Cumberland on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
“We’ve got a really tough basketball game on Tuesday,” Burner said. “I think our kids are excited. We’re going to try to finish up the same way that we’ve kind of gone through this stretch. I think they’re focused. They know what’s ahead of them. We’ve just got to continue to play good basketball.”