Pettus' Huge Night Carries MICDS To Come-From-Behind Victory Over Lutheran North

ST. LOUIS -- For much of the night on Tuesday, beginning with a four-point first quarter and a dismally cold-shooting first half, the MICDS boys basketball team couldn’t do much right in its hugely important Metro League matchup against rival Lutheran North High.

Fortunately for the Rams though, the Crusaders weren’t playing a whole lot better, and only held a 33-27 lead going into the fourth quarter.

That’s when MICDS senior Trey Pettus took over, playing tremendous defense on Lutheran North scoring machine Anthony Virdure, and finishing with a game-high 22 points of his own, to lead the Rams to a phenomenal fourth quarter comeback, which produced a 44-41 win on the road.

Junior forward Robin Thompson, who had just three points on the night, did add six rebounds, five assists, and six blocked shots for the Rams, and senior William Morehead added nine points and four rebounds.

But the difference-maker was Pettus, who hit eight-of-13 shots, including two-of-three from three-point land that helped MICDS pull out its third win in four games since the calendar turned to 2013.

MICDS is now 7-8 on the season, with a 3-2 record in Metro League play, after beginning the year with five losses in its first six games.

The most recent defeat was a gut-wrenching 40-38 affair against No. 3-ranked John Burroughs, in which the Bombers took the lead on a three-pointer with just 15 seconds remaining in the game.

Had MICDS been able to hold on that night, they’d be riding the wave of a four-game win streak, and would have the same record in conference play as  Burroughs at 3-1.

Instead, the Rams are in a third-place tie with Principia, another club that won a tight ballgame over MICDS early in the season.

But the Rams will get another shot at a potential signature win this Friday, when they’ll host Westminster Christian Academy at 7:30 p.m.

The Wildcats, who find themselves in a bit of a losing skid lately, with four losses in their last seven games, will come into Friday’s matchup with a 9-6 overall record and a 1-0 mark in league play.

There will also be an important girls game between the two schools that night at the McDonnell Gymnasium, with No. 7-ranked Westminster taking on No. 6-ranked MICDS.

Tip-off for that matchup is set for 7 p.m., with the boys’ game scheduled to start immediately after.

SCORING SUMMARY

Score by Quarters ........... 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 -- Final Score

MICDS ............................ 4 .. 11 . 12 . 17 -- 44

Lutheran North ............... 7 .. 13 . 13 .. 8 -- 41

Individual Scorers

MICDS -- Trey Pettus 22, William Morehead 9, Jimmy DesPain 6, Justin Randle 3, Robin Thompson 3, Brian Trelstad 1.

Lutheran North -- Anthony Virdure 18, Isaiah Holman 11, Renell Wren 6, Alex Mathis 4, Cameron Jackson 2.