PRESTONSBURG — Gavin Damron and Canaan Ramey combined for a strong fourth-quarter effort as the East Ridge Warriors pulled away late for a 73–64 victory over the Prestonsburg Blackcats in a 15th Region matchup on the road.
Both teams came out firing offensively in the opening quarter, with East Ridge taking a 21–18 lead after one. Damron paced the Warriors early with nine points, while Prestonsburg’s Tagean Slone countered with seven points to keep the Blackcats within striking distance.
East Ridge created separation in the second quarter, outscoring Prestonsburg 17–9 to build a 38–27 advantage at halftime. The Warriors’ defensive pressure limited the Blackcats’ scoring opportunities during the period, allowing East Ridge to control the tempo heading into the break.
Prestonsburg made a push in the third quarter behind junior Andrew Goble, who scored seven points in the period. The Blackcats held a 14–12 scoring edge in the quarter, trimming the deficit to nine points entering the fourth.
The Warriors answered in the final frame, as Damron and Ramey took over offensively. The duo combined for 20 fourth-quarter points, scoring 10 points apiece, to put the game out of reach and secure the road win.
Damron finished with a game-high 27 points and 21 rebounds, earning Surplus Products Player of the Game honors. Ramey added 23 points, providing a balanced inside-out scoring attack for East Ridge.
Below is a quarter by quarter breakdown and individual scoring for each team:
Scoring by Quarter
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| East Ridge | 21 | 17 | 12 | 23 | 73 |
| Prestonsburg | 18 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 64 |
Individual Scoring
East Ridge Warriors
- Gavin Damron – 27 points
- Canaan Ramey – 23 points
- Ayden Mullins – 9 points
- Kaden McCoy – 8 points
- Jordan Belcher – 6 points
Team Total: 73 points
Prestonsburg Blackcats
- Taegan Slone – 26 points
- Andrew Goble – 20 points
- Ryan Reynolds – 10 points
- Brady Allen – 7 points
- Colin Hatfield – 1 point
Team Total: 64 points
The win moves the Warriors to 9-15 on the season. Next Up for East Ridge, they will play host to the Hurley Rebels on Friday.
The Blackcats will play host to June Buchanan next Tuesday at the Fieldhouse.
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