The Midway Raiders were back in action for the second night in a row on Tuesday evening as they traveled to take on West Bladen, picking back up in Four County Conference play. West Bladen took the victory in the first meeting between the two, winning 51-36, but the outcome this time around would be much different. After a back-and-forth game, Midway held on to notch a big win in conference play, winning 45-43.
Midway had a solid first quarter as they took a 10-4 lead by the end of the period. West Bladen, however, responded with a much improved second quarter. The Knights outscored the Raiders 19-12 over the duration of the second period and led 23-22 at halftime.
The game remained razor-thin through the second half as Midway and West Bladen found themselves tied up, 30-30, as quarter number three came to a close.
The final quarter was no different, with both teams being virtually even. In the end, the Raiders did just enough and held on to get the two-point win, 45-43.
“After losing to West Bladen seven times dating back three seasons ago, tonight was a big win for our season and our program,” said Raider head coach Matthew Creech. “It was a collective team effort. Several guys stepped up at key moments in the game to hit shots. Austin Raynor drew five charges tonight, which speaks to his unselfishness and team-first mentality.”
Midway improves to 13-10 overall and 7-6 in the Four County. They will be back in action on Thursday as they celebrate Senior Night against Union.
“We look forward to honoring our five seniors who have meant a great deal to our program,” concluded Creech.
Midway’s scoring was well balanced as Raynor scored 10 points, Greg Orr and Adam Butler scored nine and Colby Pope contributed eight.