Parkersburg South Girls Basketball Holiday Tournament

Parkersburg South 69, Clay County 55

South Scoring:  Danielle Floyd 8, Ali Morris 11, Amber Shreeves 3, Sarah Harvey 10, Taylor Phillips 13, Kara Longwell 11, Kim Stephens 13.

Clay Scoring:  Longwell 3, Floyd 2, Harvey 2, Phillips 2, Morris 1, Shreeves 1.

South Statistics:  Rebounds, 29 (Morris 18);  Assists, 25 (Harvey 13);  Steals, 18 (Phillips, Harvey, Stephens 4);  Turnovers, 23;  Free-Throw Shooting, 10-18 (56%);  Field Goal Shooting, 24-55 (44%);  3-Point Field Goals, 11-26 (42%).   3-Point Field Goals, 11 (Longwell 3, Floyd 2, Harvey 2, Phillips 2, Morris 1, Shreeves 1).

Clay Statistics:  Turnovers, 29;  Free-Throw Shooting, 12-15 (80%);  Field Goal Shooting, 19-44 (43%).

South defeats Clay

By STEVE HEMMELGARN, Parkersburg News & Sentinel
 

PARKERSBURG — No. 2 Class AAA Parkersburg South gunned in 11 treys, but still it took several key scoring bursts in the second half to stave off No. 2 Class AA Clay County 69-55 here Thursday night and set up a ‘AAA’ No. 1 versus No. 2 girls basketball meeting with top-ranked Huntington in today’s finals of the South Holiday Tournament at the Rod Oldham Athletic Center.

After a close first half that saw South sink seven treys out of its 11 baskets, but the Panthers nevertheless keeping up to trail only 33-27 at the break, the host Patriots got off to fast start in the second half, tallying 12 of the initial 13 points to zoom out to 45-28 lead at the 4:59 mark of the third quarter.

Still Clay hung tough, clawing back within 11 at 47-36 with 1:24 left in the period before Kara Longwell canned two treys in a late 7-0 South run to lift the Patriots on top by a 17-point margin, 53-36, as the third period ended.

But the Panthers were not done just yet, getting back to just six down, 55-49, with 4:31 remaining in the game on a fourth-quarter 16-2 run, sparked by Sierra Carver and Erica Schoolcraft, whose bucket capped the comeback.

Then, though, it was South’s turn for some heroics behind the play of Ali Morris and Kim Stephens. Morris took an inbounds feed under the Patriots’ hoop for a basket to stem the Clay tide at 4:11, then Stephens scored at 3:57, Morris stole the ball and fed Daniells Floyd on the break at 2:24 to propel the Patriots into a10-point lead, 61-51, that expanded to 12 at 2:02 on another Stephens basket.

And in the final minute, Clay,still down 10, had no recourse but to foul to try and get the ball back. But South converted three free throws for a 66-53 gap and the Patriots’ Amber Shreeves’ trey at 20. 2 seconds made the final a 14-point margin.

South, now 5-1, got balanced scoring in the game, led by Stephens and Taylor Phillips with 13 points each, 11 each from Morris and Longwell and 10 from Sarah Harvey.

For Clay, bow 5-2, Carver paced the Panthers with 16 points, followed by Meghan Cole with 15 and Cherie Cruickshanks with 11.

In the other tourney semifinal game here Thursday night, Huntington improved to 6-0 with a 75-50 win over Martinsburg.

‘‘They’re good, they’re good,’’ said South head coach Scott Stephens twice to emphasize his point after watching Huntington roll over the Bulldogs. ‘‘I hope we can stay in the game with them because they’re athletic and talented and deep. Now I know why they’re ranked No. 1 in the state. They’re last year’s Morgantown; I mean, they’re that good I think.’’