New Martinsville, WV -

By JAY W. BENNETT, Parkersburg News & Sentinel

NEW MARTINSVILLE - Once again it took overtime to decide the final outcome but it was a difference of fortune for Class AAA No. 10 Parkersburg South here Thursday night as the Patriots outlasted Class AA No. 2 Magnolia, 52-47, in overtime.

"This was a great team win for us," said Patriot head girls coach Scott Stephens, whose squad fell 69-65 to the Blue Eagles at home back on Jan. 18. "We had so many girls step up.

"This is the most kids (all nine who played) we have ever had score in the whole year in a close game."

Indeed it was close as the largest advantage of the contest for either team was seven, which for the Patriots came with 4:20 left in the fourth after an Allison Crislip foul shot made it 42-35.

However, a 9-2 run by the hosts to end the stanza forced an extra session. Katy Talkington, who had 13 points, seven steals, six rebounds and five assists, hit the game-tying 3-pointer with 1:02 left off a Brooke Keene assist.

Even though the Blue Eagles (15-3), who entertain Wheeling Central on Tuesday, had a final chance to win the game, Keene's outside jumper wouldn't fall.

Jill Stephens, who had the game's only double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, took a feed from Michelle Molinari off the tip and scored the first bucket of overtime as the Patriots (11-8) never trailed in the extra four minute session.

"We had the opportunities at the end of the game, it just didn't happen to fall our way," said Blue Eagle head coach Nikki Hardman, whose team played its fifth game without injured junior point guard Ashley McSweeney, who is set to have knee surgery on Feb. 28.

"The good thing is these kids have stepped up and they have all tried to kind of fill that void and tried to keep us going and we have been."

Allison Rothlisberger scored a game-high 19 points and added a half dozen rebounds in the loss.

Stephens was the lone Patriot to crack into double figures, but Rachel Wolfe added eight points and 11 caroms while Crislip chipped in with six and Bethany Harbour came up with seven points and three steals off the bench.

A Harbour lay-in out of the spread offense put the hosts in a 48-44 overtime hole with 2:41 to go.

Despite Katie Blatt hitting a triple for part of her nine markers to close it to one with 1:58 remaining, Harbour and Wolfe each made a pair of freebies to seal it.

Magnolia led 14-11 after one and had its own seven-point cushion at 18-11 a mere 58 seconds into the second, but the Blue Eagles failed to score a field goal the rest of the period and led just 21-20 after Kim Stephens took a feed from Sarah Harvey and scored underneath for the final deuce of the first half.

Trailing 34-31 going into the fourth, Blue Eagle Hilary Heinzman scored on an offensive rebound and putback to make it 38-35 as the hosts eventually had the late run to force overtime.

Molinari also had five points and as many assists for the Patriots, who play host to Nitro on Saturday.