Virginia High echoed that sentiment Tuesday night at the Bearcat Den, winning a 59-52 overtime thriller over Marion after losing a 64-61 overtime decision to Lee last Friday.

Senior Doug Nelms was the main source of Virginia High's fun, pouring in 22 points on nine-of-12 shooting and gathering in nine rebounds.

"We were a little down from the Lee game,'' Nelms said, "because we could have taken care of the district ourselves and now we have to depend on Abingdon. It was ugly, but we got the "W'' and that's all that matters.''

Virginia High (4-2, 10-9) extended the season of heartbreak for Marion, which has lost a host of close contests in posting an 0-6 Highlands District record, 3-15 overall.

"They say tough times make tough men,'' said Marion coach Mike Davidson. "We've got to have a locker room full of the toughest men around. We've had some tough games.

"I feel like we're getting ready for the district tournament. We're competitive and we've lost a lost of close games. Down the stretch, we just needed to make a couple more plays.''

Virginia High led 24-19 at halftime despite hitting only nine of 21 floor tries and suffering 11 turnovers. The Bearcats, known for both their transition game and their penetration-kick out to the perimeter style, got just one breakaway bucket in the entire first half.

Marion led for the first time, 39-38, on a post move by Justin Hughes late in the third period, scoring as many points in the quarter as the Scarlet Hurricane had in the entire first half (20-19). That set up a furious fourth quarter battle.

"They took us out of our game, where we couldn't penetrate,'' said VHS coach Carlos Lee. "But we had to get some fire under us. We were a little dead, so I called a timeout and told the guys what they were giving away.''

Nelms was willing to give nothing away, scoring nine consecutive points in the final quarter and collecting two key rebounds and a steal over the final three minutes. A great pass from Marion's Joel Blevins to a cutting Brandon Creasy tied the game at 49 with less than 10 seconds remaining.

Virginia High's C.J. Lee, who hit the go-ahead bucket, missed a potential game-tying trey just before the horn, but in the overtime, it was all 'Cats.

Todd Cross grabbed an air-ball and scored to start the extra period, then Nelms found Kevin Fielder inside to start a three-point play. A Fielder drive and a layup by Lee at the buzzer, courtesy of a Nelms' feed, capped the overtime win.

"We've played these kind of games the past couple of years and gone down,'' said Lee, "but we decided to win this one tonight.''

Fielder and Lee each added 11 points, with Fielder getting five rebounds and Lee collecting four steals. Creasy (14 points, five assists, three steals) and Marshall Doss (12 second-half points) paced Marion.