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Eerily similar to their first meeting on December 18, the Plum Mustangs used a late-game surge to pull away from the Gateway Gators for a 46-34 triumph in a Section 2-AAAA contest on Thursday night. In their duel one month ago, senior Jack Marold sparked a momentum turning run with four 3-pointers en route to a home victory for the Mustangs. This time playing on the road, it was Marold who drained four 3-pointers, three in the second half, on his way to Quad-A Sports Player of the Game honors.

With Gateway leading 25-24, Plum turned the tide on their section foe with a 14-0 run that concluded in the early stages of the fourth quarter. The key play occurred in the waning seconds of the third period. With Plum holding a 27-25 lead, Gateway had possession and was holding the basketball for the final shot of the quarter. However, Marold intercepted a pass intended for J.P. Kromka and raced into the forecourt for a long-distance buzzer beating 3-pointer to bring the score to 30-25 and propel the Mustangs toward victory.

Plum used the momentum from the Marold buzzer beater to create an avalanche of points in the fourth quarter. Marold opened the period with another 3-pointer and senior Taylor Vivino added a trey of his own. Senior James Edwards, who will play at the Air Force Academy next season, tallied a team-high 15 points with 11 of them coming in the second half. The 14-0 run gave Plum an insurmountable 38-25 advantage.

Despite the Gators’ best efforts, they could not overcome the Plum outburst. Kromka paced the Gators with a game-best 20 points.

Plum leaps to 12-4 overall and 7-3 in Section 2-AAAA. Gateway falls to 10-6 overall and 5-5 in section play.

Plum vs. Gateway Game Summary

SCORE BY QUARTERS	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	FINAL
Plum	9	11	8	10	38
Gateway	15	26	31	15	46