Just when Wyoming Seminary’s lead seemed to be approaching out of reach, Carson Gallagher went to work.
Gallagher hit three 3-pointers in the last minute of the third quarter and six total in a span of 6:14 Saturday night to rally Blue Ridge to a 59-50, non-league boys basketball victory as one of the most successful teams in school history celebrated Senior Night.
Wyoming Seminary threatened to ruin the celebration when it scored the first seven points of the second half to start a 16-3 run to the game’s biggest lead, 40-26.
The Blue Knights did not score for the next six minutes and went 6:35 without a field goal as Gallagher quickly brought the Raiders back.
Gallagher hit three straight shots to make it 40-35 going into the fourth quarter.
After hitting from the right wing with 58 seconds left and the left wing with 32 seconds left, Gallagher got another chance when J.J. Rosa made a steal, leading to a fast-break opportunity that was broken up, but gave the Raiders the ball for an in-bounds play under the basket with six seconds left.
The ball again wound up in Gallagher’s hands and he buried a 3-pointer from the left corner less than 2two seconds before the buzzer.
Gallagher tried again and missed on the first possession of the fourth quarter, but he wound up 4-for-5 in a span of six possessions.
After Gallagher’s miss, Blue Ridge got the rebound and Gehrig Dibble hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two.
Gallagher’s 3-pointer with 6:13 left completed a 15-point streak to a 41-40 lead.
Wyoming Seminary took one more lead, but Gallagher ended that with another 3-pointer from the left side with 3:29 left.
The Blue Knights tied the game for the last time and, again, it was Gallagher who came through. Connor Cranage tracked down a rebound and found him open for the 3-pointer and 47-44 lead with 2:46 left.
Gallagher finished with 24 points, all produced from his eight total 3-pointers.
Cranage scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as the Raiders improved to 17-3 overall.
