Pick had a game-high 24 points but there’s a good chance that his 12 for 16 from the free throw line — including going 11 for 14 in the fourth quarter where much of the game hung in the balance — was one of his coaches favorite stats from the game.

For coach Travis Fantaskey, as much as he liked the win that improved his team to 3-8, the way that they won was just as satisfying.

“Turnovers and foul-shooting, that’s our killer, so to come out today and be improved, not perfect and not where I want us to be, but to be much better in those and to see where it got us today is an improvement that I’ll gladly take” Fantaskey said.

Bucktail led 21-11 midway through the second quarter but a trio of 3-pointers, including two from Lucas Dildine saw the Quakers get withing two at 23-21. A sign of things to come developed before halftime as the Bucks took a 27-22 lead behind four points from Corbin Pentz, who also had a rebound and steal in the final minute.

KEVIN RAUCH/For The Express Bucktail’s Gavin Pick puts up a second quarter shot on his way to a game high 24 points leading his team to a 56-47 win over Millville.

The home team again went up to ten with a strong start of the third quarter bumping the score to 37-27 but Millville would again methodically stayed in the game by continuing to chip away.

The Quakers hampered their cause getting into a foul bonus situation with four minutes remaining in the game but still would not go away.

Logan Nemchik hit a three-ball with under two minutes left in the game, cutting the lead to 49-47, but following a Bucktail time out, the Quakers’ foul troubles just proved too much to overcome. The Bucks consistently got the ball to Pick, who continued to nail his foul shots and slowly put the game out of reach.

“We average close to 25 turnovers a game and shoot around 30% from the line, that’s just not good enough” Fantaskey said of the season on whole to this point. “With that said, I have to remember that we are really young and inexperienced, we need to take a game like this and use it to grow.”

In addition to half of the turnovers that they typically commit, the teams, 13 for 22 from the charity strip, were also twice what they were averaging as that was good for 59% and gave the Bucks the win.

Bucktail will again be at home on Wednesday when they host Sullivan County.

Bucktail 56, Millville 47

MILLVILLE (47)

Lucas Dildine 5 2-7 15, Logan Neinchick 4 2-2 13, Shane Johnson 3 1-5 8, Zeki Boyunemgez 2 0-0 4, Landon Elliz 1 0-0 2, Caleb Kraintz 1 1-3 3, John Farell 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 6-17 47.

BUCKTAIL (56)

Gavin Pick 5 12-16 24, Corbin Pentz 6 1-2 13, Aidan Ditty 3 0-0 6, Otis Emerick 3 0-0 6, Teagan Stone 1 0-2 2, JJ Ditty 1 0-0 2, Marvis Robinson 3 0-2 3. Totals 22 13-22 56.

Millville 11 11 13 12 — 47

Bucktail 12 15 13 16 — 56

3-point goals: Millville 7 (Dildine 3, Neinchick 3, Johnson 1), Bucktail 2 (Pick 2).