Parkersburg, WV

Waterford (OH)        12  10   10  25 =  57

Parkersburg South     15  06  16  22  =  59

South Scoirng:  Mary Seagraves 13, Danielle Floyd 11, Kelsi Halbert 10, Jessica Moore 9, Sammy Hicks 8, Asia Greenleaf 4, Katelyn Porter 4.

Waterford Scoring:  King 24, Drayer 12, Bosner 8, B. Brown 4, Barker 3, E. Brown 2, Lang 2, West 2.

South Statistics:   Rebounds, 32 (Greenleaf, Hicks 7);  Assists, 13 (Floyd 6);  Steals, 7 (Floyd, Moore 3); Blocks, 1;  Turnovers, 29;  Free-Throw Shooting, 11-16 (69%);  Total Fouls, 18.

Waterford Statistics:  Rebounds, 30;  Free-Throw Shooting, 16-23 (70%);  Total Fouls, 16.

JV:  Parkersburg South 66, Wateford (OH) 40

South Scoring:  Mary Lewis 16, Taylor Gribble 13, Hannah Maston 9, Madison Slone 8, Allison Parsons 6, Carmen Cutlip 5, Kayla Dixon 5, Kristiana Hunt 4.

Waterford Scoring:  Amrine 11, Wilson 6, Sprague 5, Nutter 4, Pottmeyer 4, Schott 4, Moore 2, Donahue 2, Hendershot 2.

South Statistics:  Rebounds, 36 (Gribble 10, Dixon 8);  Assists, 19 (Maston 5);  Steals, 19 (Hunt 5);  Blocks, 1;  Turnovers, 11;  Free-Throw Shooting, 9-15 (60%);  Total Fouls, 19.

Waterford gives South girls a scare

By Kerry Patrick, Parkersburg News & Sentinel

PARKERSBURG - The Waterford girls basketball team welcomes a challenge and Parkersburg South was willing to offer not one, but two opportunities.

The first meeting between the two accomplished programs from each side of the river met head on Monday night at Rod Oldham Athletic Center. Waterford gave West Virginia's No. 3-ranked team in Class AAA all it could handle and then some. Behind a team-high 13 points from Mary Seagraves, the Patriots won, 59-57.

"That was a fun ballgame - it was and it wasn't," South coach Scott Stephens said after his Patriots improved to 8-1. "It wasn't fun to see the mistakes we made and throw the ball all over the gym like we did. But it was a fun atmosphere."

South overcame 28 turnovers compared to the 12 committed by Waterford (6-2). Shooting was the Wildcats' downfall. For the game, they converted just 27 percent (20-of-75) from the field.

"We've been struggling shooting all year," Waterford coach Jerry Close said. "In the last four years this is the worst shooting season we've had, and I don't know why. I'm hoping by the end of the season it comes together."

Waterford's 6-foot senior Sina King scored 17 of her game-high 24 points in the second half and kept the Wildcats in the contest even when they fell behind by as many as 12 points at 48-36 with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

South maintained an eight-point cushion at 55-47 with 1:44 showing, but the lead never was safe. A pair of free throws by Jessi Drayer followed by a Lauren Bosner bucket started a 6-0 run which was capped by King's jumper from just beyond the free-throw line. With 57 ticks left, the difference was two at 55-53.

Four Kelsi Halbert free throws accounted for the final South points and helped keep the lead intact at 59-55. King's two charity tosses at 8.5 seconds sliced the deficit in half.

Danielle Floyd, who was shut out in the scoring department in the first half but finished with 11 points to go with six assists and five steals, was fouled at 6.7 seconds. Neither free throw attempt found the mark and the Wildcats worked the ball to Drayer at the other end of the court. Drayer, who finished with 12 points and five steals, was double-teamed along the baseline and could not get a shot off as time expired.

The game was played on South's home floor, but Stephens was impressed by the Waterford following.

"Their fans were awesome," Stephens said. "It's a testament to the community and the support they give their school. I always thought we had a good fan following, but Waterford is the best I've seen."

The same two teams will square off again at Waterford in the Wildcats' regular-season finale on Feb. 14.

"I don't care about wins and losses during the regular season -I would rather be tournament tested and tournament ready, and that's what we've tried to do with our out-of-league schedule," Close said. "It is a great accomplishment for our girls to play a team like a South and all the tradition they have.

"My girls hate to lose and that's why I put them in situations like these because I want them to stay hungry."