The night new Bandys High head boys’ basketball coach Mark Story hoped was coming arrived on Thursday night.
Getting key free throws down the stretch from sophomore Jonah Griffith, the Trojans outlasted West Lincoln 55-50 and snapped their 36-game losing streak.
The victory, Bandys’ first since a conference tournament win in 2010 over East Burke, put the Trojans (1-9) against Lincolnton in Friday’s 8 p.m. title game of the Peoples Bank Holiday Classic at Bandys.
Lincolnton advanced by beating North Lincoln 59-42.
After zooming to an 18-6 lead through one quarter, Bandys was up by five at the half over the Rebels.
The game was tied at 47 with about three minutes to go and Story put the Trojans into a stall offense to force West Lincoln to foul.
Griffith, who scored nine points, hit five of six free throws in the critical fourth quarter.
“The last three or four minutes they played with determination,” said Story, a former Bandys player who got his first career victory.
Colton Medlin led the Trojans with 11 points and Kyle Tiffany added 10.
After losing their last two games in the 2009-2010 season, when they went 15-12, the Trojans finished 0-25 last season.
Bandys also snapped a 15-game losing streak in Bost-Matheson Gym with the victory.
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