Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
The Bath County Virginia Lady Chargers traveled to PCHS for a game on Tuesday, December 17. Junior Tristan Day set the tone for the game by scoring 12 of the Lady Warriors 17 first quarter points that included a repeat of Day’s record four threes in a quarter.
PCHS took all four quarters by scores of 17-6, 12-4, 12-6, and 13-9 and won 54-25 vs the taller and bigger squad. Last year’s two match-ups were PCHS wins of 48-25 at Bath and 60-22 at PCHS.
All ten PCHS players saw action, and seven girls scored. Two PCHS players scored in double digits this game: Day – 21 points, five treys, six rebounds and 4 assists and junior Bobbie McNabb – 14 points, seven rebounds and 5 steals. Freshman Melissa Murphy grabbed a team-high six steals. The team grabbed 32 rebounds and 22 steals.
Jessie O’Conner was high scorer for Bath with seven points. Bath out-rebounded PCHS 34-32. PCHS improves to 2-1, and Bath drops to 0-5. Both teams discovered vehicles covered in heavy snow when they exited the game.
The PCHS JV’s 51-6 win was led by sophomore Kayleigh Arbogast’s eleven points and junior Olivia Knisely’s twelve points. All eleven Warriors saw action in two or more quarters with nine players scoring. The PCHS JV (1-2) exploded for 27 points in the second quarter.
The Lady Warriors next traveled over the snow-covered roads of Kennison Mountain on December 19 to tangle with the bigger and taller Lady Lumberjacks of Richwood High School. Danny Dewhurst is Richwood’s new head coach this season, replacing Steven Nutter, who took over the reigns of the Webster County boys team. Nutter teaches at Webster.
The JV contest was cancelled when a number of Richwood players were not able to play due to illness. A large, vocal group of students turned out to try to cheer the home team to a first victory of the season. The four Richwood losses ranged from a four-point loss to Midland Trail to a 27-point loss two days earlier to Webster. PCHS beat Webster by 36 points on December 14 at Hinton.
It quickly became clear that Richwood, PCHS’s only Coalfield A foe this season, was going to play a very physical game and that the officiating crew was not going to stop it by calling many fouls. Early in the game McNabb was flattened, and it took awhile for the wounded warrior to get up from the floor. The Warriors stayed calm and concentrated on winning the game with talent and not muscle.
Melissa Murphy came out strong in the first quarter and hit four field goals that were all just short of three-point range. Day hit the only three in the first half for PCHS, and would finish with a career point total of 506 points by game’s end. Both teams would score more points in the last two quarters than in the first two frames.
PCHS took all four quarters by scores of 17-3, 13-4, 19-9, and 18-7 and continued their even scoring each quarter for the 67-23 win. Last year’s one match-up at PCHS was a 65-28 PCHS win. Four PCHS players scored in double digits this contest: Day – 13 points and six deflections, Melissa Murphy – 12 points, 5 assists and 5 deflections, freshman Sarah Ryder – 12 points, and McNabb – 10 points, six rebounds and 5 deflections.
Head Coach Mike Kane subbed often in the last three quarters. Twin sister Michelle Murphy, back from an injury that shortened her season last year, backed up her sister at point guard, and it was hard to figure out which Murphy speedster was directing the offense.
All ten PCHS players saw action in three or four quarters, and nine PCHS players scored. Subs hit four of PCHS’s seven treys in the second half (Michelle Murphy – 1, Knisely, back from an injury – 2, and senior co-captain Beth Arbogast – 1). Mellissa Murphy hit a team high percentage 5 of 6 field goals and 2 of 2 foul shots. The team had 19 assists and 20 deflections. Taller Richwood out-rebounded PCHS 35-32, and the Warriors only hit 10 of 23 foul shots.
Richwood sophomore Katie Mullins hit four threes in the second half for 12 points, and the team hit a total of six treys. Richwood drops to 0-5, and #7 (AP Poll) PCHS improves to 3-1.
The Class A Lady Warriors travel to their second tournament this season, the Armony Classic in Summersville, and again face three strong Class AA teams. First up for PCHS is always good #11 AA Tolsia on Friday, December 27, while James Monroe will take on host #9 AA Nicholas County. The two final games will be played on Saturday, December 28. The first of the two games each evening begins at 6 PM at the Armory with a second game to follow.