CONTESTED SHOT — Weir High’s Corey Lyons fights his way to the paint to attempt a shot with Oak Glen’s Alex Dennis defending during Tuesday’s game on Ron “Fritz” Williams Court. - Andrew Grimm

WEIRTON — After losing for just the second time in its last seven games on Monday, the Red Riders did not have to wait long for an opportunity to bounce back.

That opportunity, Tuesday night on Ron “Fritz” Williams Court, was a multi-faceted one as well, as Anthony Santangelo’s group not only had a shot to get back in the win column, but to do so by sweeping county rival Oak Glen and getting another rivalry win at home just a few nights removed from topping Madonna.

Not only did they accomplish all three, they did it in style with one of their best offensive performances of the season in an 81-52 victory over the Golden Bears.

“It feels really good,” Santangelo said of the win. “It’s a section game for us, it’s a rivalry, it’s big for our team. We came together and when you work as a team, you can win big games like this. We communicated well, we got deflections and transition points.”

As important as getting the season sweep of Oak Glen (the Red Riders also won at Oak Glen in the season opener) and a second rivalry win in four nights was, putting the disappointment of Monday’s loss to Williamstown in the rear-view mirror was equally important.

After an early four-game slide, the Red Riders (7-6) have not lost back-to-back games.

“It was huge to bounce right back,” Santangelo said. “I like back-to-back games when you lose because you can forget about it fast and get on to the next game, and our guys did.

“It shows maturity from our guys and our leaders.”

It was a balanced attack that did the trick, too, as 11 different players found the scoresheet for the Red Riders, six scoring at least five points. Damarr Turner led the charge with 23 points in three quarters of action, followed by Colin “G” Cross with 21.

“Everyone was working the ball, everyone was contributing,” Santangelo said. “That’s the fun part. Damarr and G are consistently getting 20 or so, but when other guys are getting the ball, other guys are scoring and making defensive plays, it feels really good.”

For Oak Glen (1-12), it was simply another night the youth showed with three freshmen in the top-six rotation.

“They’re really athletic and they come at you in waves,” Oak Glen head coach Jerry Everly said of Weir High. “They’re a good team, they shot lights out. It seemed like anytime someone got open, they were hitting their shots.

“We’re trying to get better, and it’s a process. We’re young, we had four freshmen out there in the fourth quarter. They’re learning and getting better. They have great attitudes and will keep working hard to get better.

“They kept playing hard.”

Cross tallied 11 of his 21 in the opening quarter to help Weir High open a 22-10 lead.

The Bears pulled within eight early in the second, but Turner scored five-straight to start a 10-0 Red Rider run that pushed the advantage to 18.

Tyler Evans hit a triple at the horn to make it a 14-point game at the break, but any momentum from that quickly went by the wayside as the Red Riders, kickstarted by five-straight points from Cross, rattled off a 19-1 run to start the third quarter and out-scored the Bears 29-6 in the frame to open a 37-point lead after three.

Weir’s starters gave way to the jayvees in the fourth. For its part, Oak Glen kept playing hard despite there being little doubt about the outcome and tallied its biggest production of the night in the fourth.

Jared Hissam led Oak Glen with 11 while Preston Cole tallied 10.

JV ACTION

Weir High also won the junior varsity prelim 59-27. Christian Long led the way with 16 points, while Oak Glen’s Gavin Geisse tallied nine.

UP NEXT

Oak Glen: Hosts North Marion on Saturday in a boys-girls doubleheader.

Weir High: Heads to Harrison Central Friday night for a coaching battle of former colleagues at the Franciscan University of Steubenville between Santangelo and the Huskies’ Aaron Foldi.

Weir High 81, Oak Glen 52

Oak Glen 10-14-6-22 – 52

Weir High 22-16-29-14 – 81

OAK GLEN (1-12): Chaney 2 1-2 5; Weekley 1 0-0 3; Cole 3 4-6 10; Ramgeet 3 1-2 7; Hissam 4 0-0 11; McCauley 1 0-0 2; Geisse 2 0-0 4; Evans 2 0-0 6; Cowart 0 0-0 0; Dennis 1 2-2 4. TOTALS: 19, 8-10; 52.

WEIR HIGH (7-6): Cross 8 0-0 21; Lyons 4 1-2 9; Stromile 0 0-0 0; Prentice 2 0-0 4; Mowder 0 2-2 2; Brueck 1 0-0 2; D. Smith 3 0-2 6; Turner 11 0-0 23; Long 1 2-4 5; J. Smith 2 0-0 5; Caranda 1 0-0 2; Potock 0 0-0 0; Jones 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 34, 5-10; 81.

3-POINT GOALS: Oak Glen 6 (Hissam 3, Evans 2, Weekley); Weir High 8 (Cross 5, Turner, Long, J. Smith).