Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS Varsity, 50
Greenbrier West Varsity, 32
The Pocahontas County High School Lady Warriors moved up to #3 (behind #1 Huntington St. Joe and #2 Parkersburg Catholic) in both the January 10 BasketballNight.com Power Ratings and the January 21 MaxPreps Rankings. Region III Section 1 PCHS traveled to Charmco January 20 to play Section 2 opponent Greenbrier West.
Going into this game, both schools had only three losses, but PCHS had 11 wins versus six for West.
PCHS scored the first 12 points of the game including one three each by Jerica Reed and Kira Bircher to end the 12-0 run. West high-scorer (double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds) senior Kenley Posten scored all four points in the first frame. After one stanza, PCHS led 16-4 with four PCHS starters scoring from three to five points each. Sienna Bircher made all seven of her points in the second period and ended the game with 11 rebounds and three deflections. PCHS took the second period 12-6 and led 28-10 at the half.
Game-high scorer, with 15 points, seven rebounds and four deflections, was Laila Calhoun who put up nine points in the third that ended in a 12-12 tie. Five West players scored in the third, and PCHS maintained its 18-point lead 40-22. Five PCHS players scored in the final canto, and it was a 10-10 tie, so the final score was 50-32.
All nine Lady Warriors scored in the win. PCHS improved to 12-3, and West dropped to 6-4. Charity Warder finished with eight points, six rebounds and five assists. Alexa Taylor also tallied eight points, five rebounds, four deflections, three assists and the team’s third trey. Kira Bircher added eight rebounds, five points, five deflections, four assists and three blocks.
PCHS out-rebounded West 42 to 30, and both teams turned over the ball 22 times. PCHS committed 12 fouls and hit nine of 22 (37%) foul shots, while GWHS accumulated 20 fouls and made six of seven (86%) free throws. West had two players foul out in the fourth frame with 4:13 and 2:12 to go in the game. PCHS made 19 of 37 field goal attempts (53%).
PCHS hosts Charleston Catholic on Saturday, February 1 (PCHS JV inter-squad scrimmage – 2 p.m. , V – 4 p.m.). PCHS then travels to Class AA Elkins High School Tuesday, February 4 (JV – 5:45 p.m., V – 7:30 p.m.).
When I reported last week that PCHS last defeated Tucker in a game on February 13, 2012, PCHS head coach Mike Kane mentioned that PCHS had also defeated TCHS during his first season coaching at PCHS, the 2012-13 season. After rechecking the games played and entered on MaxPreps over the nine seasons involved, I found a PCHS 39-38 win at PCHS on January 4, 2013 that I had listed as a loss. The two wins were a run of two wins over Tucker over those two seasons. High scorers in that second win were Bobbie McNabb, Melissa Murphy, Olivia Workman and Tristan Day, and that reduced the number of games lost to TCHS by PCHS in that stretch to the most recent victory on January 17 to 13.
PCHS JV, 48
Greenbrier West JV, 44
PCHS beat West at PCHS on December 10, 37-23, but this was a closer game from the start. West took the first quarter 11-8, and Pocahontas rebounded for a 17-10 second period and a 25-21 lead at the half. Cloey Sharp played JV only in the second stanza and scored eight points and grabbed four steals. PCHS won the third frame by two, 11-9, and GWHS won the fourth by two, 14-12.
Game high scorer was Sara Stull with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. High scorer for West was Destiny Walker with 14 points. Allyson Alderman tallied eight points, five steals and five deflections. Macaden Taylor produced six points, five steals, five deflections and three blocks. Rayna Smith grabbed six rebounds and four points. Makayla Ervine scored five points and nailed the only game three. Jazzlyn Teter totaled five steals, four points, four deflections and three rebounds. PCHS improves to 6-6 and made 38% of the field goal attempts. The two teams combined had a record 110 turnovers and 72 rebounds.