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It wasn’t a game of teams trading baskets, but rather one defined by momentum swings as Morristown West and West Ridge exchanged runs, with the Lady Wolves delivering the final punch in a 65-58 win at Mike Reed Gym.

While West was able to generate runs of its own, the Lady Trojans more often found themselves fighting uphill, forced to erase deficits throughout the night.

After falling down early 14-7, West used a 13-3 run to end the first up 20-17. West Ridge then went on a 14-2 run in the second and led by five at the intermission.

The Lady Trojans then opened the second half with a 10-0 run and later took a 38-36 lead, but not before Jhaniya Mitchell reaggravated an ankle injury to help halt the run. Mitchell returned, but West Ridge controlled the rest of the way as Lady Wolves’ star Carter Jones scored 20 of her 22 points in the half.

“It was a pretty even game,” West head coach Johnny Galyon said. “I thought we just couldn’t hit that stretch to get a four or five-point lead. We had to sub, and Jhaniya goes down again. Thought we lost Jones a little bit in that second half. You can’t fault our effort, scrambling with different combinations in the lineup. I thought our kids played extremely hard, and we’re going to be, we’re be one of those teams that I don’t think anybody wants to play as a lower seed in the tournament.”

West has dealt with the injury bug late in the season, and it has contributed to some of their losses as of late. The Lady Trojans sit in last place in District 1-4A with a 1-5 clip, 10-12 overall.

However, Galyon feels that West can make some noise in the postseason should his squad continue getting healthy. The Lady Trojans are slipping under the radar in the district, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Honestly, I like to feel overlooked,” he said. “Those are the best times to coach. Honestly, this group could do it. We just need to execute a little bit better. They’re starting to play a lot harder than they played early. And, you know, I thought we, we executed. Played hard tonight. We just played a good basketball team.”

Jocelin Murray paced West with 16 points, Mitchell had 14 and Haven Simpson added 11. Jalyca Dinkins also hit a pair of threes in an eight-point night.

“(Murray) had a good scoring game. I think she had 16, and we’re just asking her to see the floor a little bit better, just like with all of our guards. And I thought Haven played well. She played more composed, more of the way we want her to play. She attacked inside, and she was a factor on defense. So we hope to see her continue that with three more games this week.”

After falling into a seven-point deficit early, the West defense wreaked havoc and the home team went on a run.

A Mitchell two and a three from Kinleigh Holt sparked it as Mitchell and Murray scored three straight buckets off turnovers. Murray found Mitchell on a pick-and-roll to end the quarter up 20-17 for the senior’s 10th point.

The sides again traded runs between the second and third quarters, and West took a four-point lead following a Maddie Simpson and one lat in the third.

However, Jones began to provide her spark after Kyleigh Mitchell hit a step-back three to shrink it to 40-39. Jones then banged in a three on a third-chance bucket and then hit a two for a 45-40 lead. With Jones in rhythm, West Ridge completed a 13-2 run and led 49-44 entering the final frame.

The Lady Trojans didn’t have another run in them, but kept it within three with under four minutes to go. Jones put in another bucket and Teagan Tipton knocked in her fourth three for the dagger to make it 61-53 with two minutes to go. West trimmed it to five, but the Lady Wolves chewed the clock to complete the season sweep.