Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS 58 Bath County VA 23
The second game this season with Bath County proved to be just as rough as the first one at Hot Springs. PCHS jumped on the Lady Chargers quickly with a 10-0 run and took the first period 17-2. PCHS led 34-7 at the half.
Everyone would play for Pocahontas, and the PCHS defense grabbed 26 steals in the game and forced Bath to commit 34 turnovers versus 13 for the home squad.
This 58-23 PCHS win was costly. Kayleigh Arbogast hit her head hard in a tussle under the basket with 5:14 to go in the second quarter. Then with 6:14 to go in the third canto, Bobbie McNabb fell forward to the floor under the basket and was in much pain. Both girls did not return to the game.
PCHS had three players in double figures. Sarah Ryder finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and eight steals. Melissa Murphy dropped in 13 points and six steals while McNabb and Tristin Day recorded 10 and 9 points respectively. McNabb had three blocks all in the second quarter, and Day had four steals mid-game.
The PCHS JV won 40-24 with Lindsey Hartzell the high scorer with ten points.
PCHS 75 Richwood 37
The PCHS girls only Coalfield A Conference foe, the Richwood Lady Lumberjacks, traveled to PCHS on Friday, December 19, with hopes of doing better than last year’s 67-23 rout by the Lady Warriors at Richwood. Richwood-native Jeff Chambers is embarking upon his first high school coaching job after coaching at the elementary school level and in summer leagues. Richwood lost only Hannah Brown from last year, but she was their four-year starter at point guard. PCHS was still without the services of McNabb, Arbogast and Mary Kelley as they recover from recent injuries.
The improved Lumber-jills made a game of it for the first two quarters that ended 20-15 and 16-9 PCHS. Pocahontas shot field goals at only a ten percent clip in the first quarter but improved every quarter to 33, 45 and then 50 percent in the final period.
The final score was 75-37 PCHS, with four Lady Warriors scoring in double digits. Day was game high scorer with 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Ryder had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Improving Natalie Hartzell played her best game with career high points of 12 plus six rebounds and three steals. Michelle Murphy is back to speed and put up ten points and grabbed eight rebounds. Twin sister Melissa Murphy tallied eight points, five defections, three rebounds and three steals. Tiffany Hoover stepped up and made five points that included one swishing three.
Katie Mullins and Erica Lawrence led Richwood scoring with 14 and 12 points respectively. Hartzell and Day were the only players on the floor to score in all four quarters.
PCHS improved to 5-1 while Richwood dropped to 1-5 with two losses by three points to Greenbrier West and four points to 4-2 Midland Trail with one of those losses to AAA power Greenbrier East.
The PCHS JV took the first stanza 29-7 then lost the third quarter 2-16 and still won 54-32. Four Lady Warriors were in double digit scoring: Haley Bennett – 14, Kourtney Cohenour – 11, Michelle Murphy – 10 and Tiffany Hoover – 10. Katie Mullins was also JV high scorer for Richwood with 10 points.
The PCHS girls travel to the Webster County Tournament on Friday and open versus Class AA Nicholas County (3-2) at 2:30 PM. PCHS (5-1) will play either Class AA Webster (5-1) or Midland Trail (4-2) on Saturday with the time TBA.
