South heats up against Warriors

By Dan Stillwell, Register-Herald Sports Writer
 

First appearances can be misleading.

Parkersburg South looked like anything but a smooth-shooting girls basketball team as it struggled to a 27-17 halftime lead against Pocahontas County Tuesday.

But the bricks turned into three-pointers — seven, to be exact — after the intermission as the Patriots rolled to a 70-31 victory in a first-round game of the Mountain State Coal Classic at the Raleigh County Armory.

“I think we were still on the bus in the first half,” coach Scott Stephens said. “We really didn’t get going until the second half.”

South (11-4) sank only two trifectas and was just 12-of-36 from the floor in the first two quarters.

“We were late getting here and we were in a hurry to get off the bus and get ready for the game,” Stephens said. “We were behind.”

But the second quarter ended on a high note, as Allison Crislip drilled a two and a three in the final 34 seconds to up the lead to 10 over the Warriors.

South opened the second half with a 9-2 run, then turned to the long distance bomb. Taylor Phillips hit two in a row to start a five-trifecta barrage.

Three-pointers by Bethany Harbour, Crislip and Harbour again made it 51-25 at the quarter’s end.

“We challenged them at halftime to step it up,” Stephens said. “They came out and played a lot better.”

Pocahontas County (12-3) had its chances early, but could never get its offense untracked except for center Mindy Sharp.

The 6-foot-1 senior scored all but six of the Warriors’ first-half points. She finished with 19.

“By halftime we’d missed eight easy shots within three feet of the basket,” coach Tim McClung said. “South is a real good defensive team and we didn’t execute well today.”

The defense faded as well in the second half against the Patriot sharpshooters.

“They came out and hit some threes they didn’t hit in the first half,” McClung said. “They stretched our defense out.”

Phillips led South with 15 points and four steals. Crislip added 14 points while reserve Kayla Ayers grabbed seven rebounds.

The Patriots will face Huntington at 3 p.m. Friday in the tournament semifinals.

Sharp had 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals for the Warriors, who will meet Woodrow Wilson at 5 p.m. today.

“She’s a quality post player. She did a good job of holding the post up if you’re trying to front her and get in a lob pass,” Stephens said. “I believe she can play at the next level.”

Pocahontas County (12-3)

Jaenna Burns 0-3 0-3 0, Christin Shinaberry 0-5 0-1 0, Heidi Beverage 0-2 0-0 0, Amy Coleman 2-4 0-2 4, Mindy Sharp 5-12 9-12 19, Chelsey Gum 0-2 0-0 0, Nebraska Beverage 0-1 0-0 0, Madeline Jerome 1-4 0-0 2, Michelle Holstine 2-7 2-4 6, Kachine Jones 0-2 0-0 0, Abby McCoy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 10-43 11-22 31.

Parkersburg South (11-4)

Bethany Harbour 3-6 0-0 8, Erica Shreeves 3-6 0-0 6, Allison Crislip 5-14 2-2 14, Taylor Phillips 5-15 2-5 15, Stacy Houser 2-5 0-2 4, Kelsey Griffith 1-4 0-0 3, Kayla Ayers 2-4 2-2 6, Ali Morris 1-5 0-0 2, Brittany Meadows 1-4 0-0 3, Tara Collins 1-2 0-0 2, Sarah Harvey 1-2 1-2 3, Kim Stephens 2-5 0-0 4. Totals: 27-72 7-13 70.

PC 6 11 8 6 — 31

PS 13 14 24 19 — 70

Three-point goals: PC: None; PS: 9 (Harbour 2, Crislip 2, Phillips 3, Griffith 1, Meadows 1); Fouled out: PS: Shreeves.