The Golden Eagles met defeat by just two points in the Magic Dome against Williamsport on February 2, ending their bid for a third consecutive win over the 6A team.
The final score settled at 75-73, marking a narrow loss in a tightly contested game with many momentum shifts.
The Golden Eagles stood level with Williamsport through an exchange of long-range shots that defined much of the pace, and physical play underneath kept the game close.
“We matched their size and shot lights-out. This builds us for districts,” Ashton Emigh said.
Tyrone Head Coach Luke Rhoades prepared his team before facing Williamsport’s height advantage, emphasizing control under the basket.
Tyrone took charge early after junior Mason Emigh secured the opening tip. Movement stayed fast, responding to Williamsport’s defensive setup.
At the outset, junior forward Ben Walk launched a three-point effort. From there, the defensive focus shifted outward.
At midcourt, juniors Carter Gwinn and Emigh directed play. Passing laterally, they fed driving teammates gaps between defenders.
Eli Woomer hit a deep three to earn the Golden Eagles an early advantage, and Ashton Emigh advanced through tight space, drawing contact on a tough layup that fell in.
The sequence lifted Tyrone ahead by four as the quarter closed, even though Williamsport’s Mekhi Gaston had opened strong beneath the rim for the Millionaires.
Mason Emigh led Tyrone in rebounds against the much taller Millionaire forwards.
“Every single board took full commitment; nothing came easily,” Emigh said.
From the outset, the Emigh siblings shaped the game’s rhythm, Ashton locking down 6-6 Kason Ulmer, crowding the lane with his presence, while Mason dismantled extended defenses.
Later, movement began to click for Williamsport, building momentum through an aggressive run that ended with a 25-11 advantage for the Millionaires in the first quarter.
Williamsburg senior Ethan Chilson caught fire, sixteen points, twelve from around the arc, the last sparked by a pass from Tevin Williams into the corner.
By halftime, Tyrone battled back, but Williamsport carried a 10-point lead into the break.
After trailing by double digits at halftime, Tyrone shifted momentum sharply in their favor.
A 21–15 edge in the third quarter narrowed to 53–49 heading into the final period.
Late in transition, Walk struck again from deep twice, reacting to defensive recovery efforts. He led the team with 24 points, built on six three-pointers.
From Emigh’s kickouts, spot-up chances emerged. Woomer converted, finishing with 21 points on five three-pointers.
The Millionaires found fewer openings inside due to Tyrone’s shifting zone defense.
“We broke it into minute chunks, win one, then the next,” Woomer said. “That focus got us back in it.”
Williamsport’s momentum fell across the dome when Tyrone began scoring, shifting momentum in Tyrone’s favor.
Midway through the fourth,a six-point edge opened for Tyrone, built on Walk dominating inside while Woomer fired a deep three.
However, Williamsport sliced through the defense, drawing fouls and converting tough finishes at the rim.
Tyrone’s bench tightened now. Ashton Emigh was limited after picking up four fouls. An elbow struck senior Brayden Parsons, causing a delay in the game for a nose injury.
Still, Woomer hits a deep three near game’s end, narrowing the difference to just one score. His drive follows, strong through contact, landing point number twenty-one.
Falling behind by two with seconds remaining, Mason Emigh launched a lob pass and found Walk moving toward the basket, but the attempt missed just as the horn sounded.
Despite the loss, Tyrone was satisfied with their effort against the Millionaires.
“Defend and shoot like that? Nobody wants Tyrone in the playoff bracket,” said Woomer.
