WVSSAC 2014 GIRLS’ BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT

WVSSAC 2014 GIRLS’ BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT

March 12-15, 2014 -Charleston Civic Center, Charleston WV.

By; Joe Costa

The WVSSAC 2014 Girls’ Basketball State Tournament brings together 24 regional champions in 3 classifications to Charleston West Virginia for the 4 day event. Wednesday and Thursday is the quarterfinal round, while Friday is the 6 semi-final games and Saturday is Championship Saturday. The WVSSAC tournament is a great event with a fun, fan friendly atmosphere. The competing schools descend upon Charleston complete with cheerleaders and very well behaved and respectful student sections.

The following is a re-cap of the first two days quarter final action. Second and championship rounds re-cap will have more evaluations and individual player information.

Quarter Final Re-cap

Class A

(1) St. Joseph Central Lady Irish         73         -          (8) Tug Valley Lady Panthers              30

This one was over quick; coach Shannon Lewis’s number one seed Lady Irish had no problem dispatching the number eight seeded Panthers of Tug Valley. The Lady Irish talent and pressure defense turned Tug Valley over 37 times while seniors Griffin Dempsey (20) and Rachel Lee (19) dominated the overmatched Lady Panthers. Tug Valley was led by senior Hannah Armstrong (14).

(2) St. Mary’s Lady Blue Devils           71        -           (7) Fayetteville Yellow Jackets            40

Second seeded St. Mary’s used their size and speed to wear down a tough Fayetteville squad in the last game of the afternoon session. The Lady Blue Devils are a well rounded group with a 6-4 inside presence senior Kendra Walker (17), an all-around threat in 5-11 sophomore Ashley Hall (19) and a combo guard in senior Mikaela Britton (13).  The Yellow Jackets were led by junior Maddie Pritt (12) and freshman Kendall Maylay (10).

(3) Tucker County Mountain Lions     51       -          (6) Pocahontas County Warriors        31

This match-up of the number three and six seeded teams was a 6 point Tucker County lead at halftime, 25-19 and then the Mountain Lions pounced on the Warriors with an 18-3 third quarter. Seniors Stephanie Betler (15) and Bekah Simmons (12) paced the Mountain Lions while freshman forward Sarah Ryder 13 led all Pocahontas County scorers.

(4) Wheeling Central Lady Knights     44         -          (5) Charleston Catholic Lady Irish      49

The final quarter final match-up of the tournament was a good one! The number five seeded Charleston Catholic Lady Irish outlasted a late rush by the Lady Knights of Wheeling Central.  A 12-3 second quarter put Charleston Catholic up 7 at the half and as much as 11 in the third. Wheeling closed the gap to 2 with under a minute to go but free throws and keeping the Lady Knights off the boards sealed the win for Charleston Catholic. The three headed monster of freshman Vida Imani (17), seniors Anna Whelan (12) and Hanna Gallian (10) balanced out the Lady Irish while on the Lady Knight’s side junior Regan Blaha chipped in (12).       

 Class AA

(1) Fairmont Sr. Polar Bears              56        -          (8) Grafton Bearcats                          41

Grafton’s sophomore tandem of Hannah Griffith (15) and Tessa Clark (12) did what they could to keep this game close for a while but Fairmont Sr’s pressure, tempo and depth proved too much for the Bearcats. Fairmont Sr. was led by Junior Emily Stoller (15) and freshman Erica Bowles (17)

(2) Westside Renegades                     56        -           (7) Scott Yellow Jackets                      42

Westside junior Hope Lester (20) was too strong inside and too elusive outside for the Yellow Jackets of Scott to contain. Senior Ali Whitman paced the Yellow Jackets with (14).

(3) North Marion Huskies                  57        -           (6) Keyser Golden Tornado                63

A late Keyser surge which included some timely free throws and key rebounds pushed the Golden Tornado past the stubborn North Marion Huskies. Sophomore Lexi Taylor (19) and senior Lexi Carr (10) paced the 6 seeded Keyser team while senior Anna Marie Moscufo led the Huskies with (16) and freshman Presley Tuttle added (14).

(4) Summers County Lady Bobcats     47        -           (5) Sissonville Indians                         57

In a game that featured 7 ties and 5 lead changes, the Sissonville Indians ran past the number 4 seeded Lady Bobcats of Summers County to end the first day’s action. Sophomore Madison Jones led all scorers with (22) for the Indians while fellow sophomore Karli Pinkerton added (18). The Lady Bobcats were paced by senior Brandy Morrison with (11).

Class AAA

(1) Parkersburg South Patriots           80       -           (8) Hampshire Trojan                          33

After starting the game down one because of a bench technical, Parkersburg South showed why they are the number one seeded team in AAA. The Patriots ran away from the Trojans early in this match-up behind sophomores Taryn McCutcheon (16) and (12) from Anna Hayton. The Trojans were led by junior Emilynn Corbin with (14).

(2) Greenbrier East Lady Spartans     48       -          (7) Cabell Midland Knights                38

The Lady Spartan’s coach Jim Justice really knows and trusts his kids… When 6-4 senior center Sydney Nunley (19) picked up her second personal foul early in the second quarter, coach Justice never wavered. He left Nunley in the game then and did it again when she picked up her third early in the 3^rd quarter.  Result Nunley’s steady performance kept the second seeded Lady Spartans in the game until late in the third that is when fellow senior Chaunte McDowell (23) caught fire. Greenbrier East went on an 18-2 run that put the very game Cabell Midland Knights away. The Knights led most of the game behind senior Sierra Jordan’s (10).

(3) Huntington Highlanders                48       -           (6) Morgantown Mohigans                 59

Morgantown coach Jason White’s game plan was to use the third seeded Highlanders strengths against them. He changed how the Mohigans break the press to give an open floor for their speedy point guard junior Olivia Seggie (19 & 5 assists) and told the sixth seeded Morgantown High players to stop the Highlanders penetration as a results the Mohigans opened up a 29-18 halftime lead. Huntington countered with adjustments to the press and started turning Morgantown over in the third. That coupled with the Highlanders finally being able to attack the basket down the lane pulled Huntington to within 8 after three. All the energy the Highlanders used to get back in the game started to wear on Huntington. Morgantown played keep away and made free throws to put the Highlanders away. Sophomores Sydney Holloway and Paige Poffenberger each added (10) to go with Seggie’s (19) for the Mohigans. Huntington got (20) from sophomore Dazha Congleton and (10) from Alacyah Johnson.

(4) South Charleston Black Eagles      40       -          (5) Martinsburg Lady Bulldogs           60

After South Charleston closed to 1 a 9 point deficit in the third quarter, Martinsburg went on a 26-7 run to end the game.  Martinsburg held the Black Eagle’s talented freshman guard Aaliyah Dunham to 1 of 13 from the field and only (4) points. South Charleston did however get (14) from sophomore Taliah Cashwell. Martinsburg’s junior guard Taylor Ferguson led all scorers with (22) while senior Essence Underwood scored (13) and junior Alexus Bonner chipped in (11).