Poca was a Top 10 opponent that had to work long and hard to overcome a lead the Tide held until late in the third quarter.
The Tide started strong, taking a 15-14 lead after the first quarter and maintaining a 32-31 advantage at halftime.
The Dots would not go away on their home court, however, outscoring the Tide 16-13 in the third quarter to take a 47-45 lead entering the final period.
Sherman outscored Sherman 14-10 in the final eight minutes.
“This was one we should have won,” Sherman coach Chris Duncan said. “There were a couple time where we were up seven, eight, nine points and we just couldn’t put it away.”
Junior forward Jacob Rollo, one of the Tide’s main contributors, picked up his third foul early in the third quarter, which limited his time for the remainder of the game.
“When Jacob had to go out, it really hurt us,” Duncan said.
The game was evenly matched. The Tide grabbed one more rebound 36-35) and committed one fewer turnover (14-13) than the Dots.
“It was just one of those games,” Duncan said.
A key factor in Sherman's loss was the foul shot comparison. The Dots made 16-of-18 shots from foul line; the Tide made only 5-of-10.
“They made them when it counted,” Duncan said. “It was an even game, pretty much back and forth throughout.”
Junior forward Colby Treadway led the Tide with 12 points. Rollo had 11 points. Junior center Justin Maloskey added 10 points.
Senior guard Brandjon Lovejoy had nine points in his last game. Lovejoy was the lone senior on Sherman's roster.
Junior guard Tyler Boulet added eight points. Junior forward Brandon Woodrum added five points.
Jason Cuffee scored 26 points for Poca. Clinton Parsons netted 14 points. Brian Sigman added 13 points.
“We’ll be back,” Duncan said. “We graduate one senior and have all five starters back next year, along with a good freshman and sophomore class.
“We did a lot of good things. We finished 13-10, upset a No. 1 team (Charleston Catholic), won seven in a row and won 10 out of 12. We went from ‘we hope to win’ at the beginning of the season to ‘we know we are going to win’ by the end. The kids know how and expect to win now.”
Duncan said the Tide's success next season will depend on its dedication during the off-season.
“We have to get better in the off-season, and the off-season starts now,” he said. “The boys are going to work hard. Some are three-sport athletes, and they will be ready to go come next November.”
The road will not get easier for the Tide next season.
“We have a much tougher schedule next year than we did this year,” Duncan said. “It’s the only way we are going to get better.”
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