Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS V, 34
Tygarts Valley V, 48
The Pocahontas County High School girls basketball teams headed to Mill Creek February 8 for the second game this season vs Tygarts Valley High School. Our varsity team would face the improved #14 ranked (three-way tie in the February 7 AP Poll) Lady Bulldogs who had just upset the now #7 ranked Tucker County squad, knocking Tucker to #4.
TVHS took all four quarters in this game – 11-5, 6-5, 15-9 and 16-15 for the 48-34 win. PCHS high scorer this season, sophomore Olivia Vandevender (215 points going into this game), hit her head hard on the floor on the last play of the first quarter and would sit out the second quarter with ice on the back of her head. PCHS led the game until TVHS tied it at 5-5. We pulled within two in the third quarter, 17-19, and then the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run. The Lady Warriors tend to struggle in the third quarter of games, but ended the game on a 7-0 run.
TVHS junior Isabella Shumate scored 19 points in the previous game, and PCHS held her to zero points this game. TVHS senior Kendal Cutright was game-high scorer this game with 17 points, and right behind her was PCHS senior Allyson Alderman with 14 points (scored in every quarter). Bulldog senior Abigail Cabaniss was next with 13 points (scored in every quarter). Eight Warriors and six Bulldogs scored in the game.
PCHS hit 13 of 59 (22 percent) field goal attempts, 11 of 47 twos (23 percent), two of 12 threes (17 percent), and six of nine (67 percent) foul shots. TVHS hit six of 11 (55 percent) foul shots. PCHS stats vs TVHS stats were: 32 vs 35 rebounds and 19 vs 19 (nine less for TV in the last game) turnovers, Other PCHS stat game highs were: senior Macaden Taylor – 11 rebounds and two blocks; Vandevender – four assists; Alderman – five deflections, three steals and four of five FTs (80 percent); and Ervine – three steals. TVHS improves to 7-7 and 5-5 in the PVC, while PCHS drops to 7-11 and 2-7 in the PVC.
PCHS JV, 38
Tygarts Valley JV, 14
The Lady Warriors JV squad won the first quarter 5-0 and lost the second 6-8 to take an 11-8 lead to the dressing room. Sophomore Adelyn Warner scored eight of PCHS’s 10-2 third quarter points. Freshman Riley Pollack scored nine of PCHS’s 17-4 final frame. Pocahontas hit only one of eight (13 percent) free throws, and TVHS made four of eight (50 percent).
The Bulldogs committed 56 turnovers (10 more than last game), and the Warriors improved with only 21. The Warriors were out-rebounded 46-36. PCHS made 15 percent of all their field goals (14 of 96), 21 percent of twos (14 of 68) and 11 percent of threes (three of 28).
TVHS freshman Kayla Ferguson was team-high scorer with six points. Pollack was PCHS game-high scorer with 14 points including one trey followed by Warner with 10 points. All 12 Warriors played, and seven scored. All 10 Bulldogs played, and four scored. Sophomore Mileya Bircher and junior Makenzie Moyers scored the second and third treys for PCHS.
Other PCHS team highs were Warner – nine rebounds, Bircher – five deflections, Pollack – four steals and sophomore Hannah Burks – five assists. Eight fouls were called on PCHS, and five on TVHS. The PCHS JV improves their record to 12-4 overall and 6-3 in the PVC.
PCHS V, 36
Alleghany Va. V, 50
PCHS had not played the Mountaineers of Alleghany High School since the 2019-20 COVID season.
Right before the 12-5 Mountaineers headed to PCHS on Wednesday, February 9, they enjoyed a historic week beating Floyd County for the first time in program history and avenging a 14-point loss at Glenvar earlier in the month. Progress is also being made on the merger of Alleghany and the Covington City Schools.
The quarter game scoring (PCHS-AHS) on Wednesday was: 10-13, 9-19, 6-7 and 11-11 for the 36-50 PCHS loss. Six players scored for AHS, and eight for PCHS. The Warriors hit 13 of 47 (28 percent) field goal attempts, and the Mountaineers nailed 22. PCHS nailed eight of 18 foul shots (44 percent), and AHS made three of eight (38 percent). The AHS stats vs the PCHS stats were: 31 vs 28 rebounds and 27 vs 28 turnovers.
PCHS team highs were: Vandevender – 12 points; Alderman – eight points, four assists, three deflections and two treys; Macaden Taylor – four assists, four steals and three blocks; Spencer – seven rebounds. Game-high scorers were AHS sophomore Macyn Cash – 17 points including one three and senior Erin Harden – 14 points. AHS season high-scorer junior Ken-dell Keene was held to two threes for six game points. AHS improves to 13-5, and PCHS drops to 7-12).
PCHS V, 38
Pendleton County V, 49
The PCHS Lady Warriors traveled to Franklin December 2 and lost 21-40, and PCHS lost again February 12 by a score of 38-49 at the annual PinkOut and Auction fundraiser. The Wildcats took the first three quarters again with scores of 14-5, 21-11 and 11-9. PCHS took the fourth quarter 13-3 and that lowered the margin of victory some from 19 points last game to 11 points Saturday. Pocahontas hit only one of six free throws (17 percent) versus four of eight (50 percent) for Pendleton. The Wildcats committed 37 turnovers again versus 24 for our team. The Lady Warriors were out-rebounded by the taller team 41-23. PCHS made only 16 of 61 (26 percent) of their field goals!
Vandevender scored 13 points and Macaden Taylor put up 10 points, the highs for Pocahontas. Sophomore Ana Young hit six treys in the first half and led Pendleton with a game-high 24 points. Freshman Avery Townsend added 12 points to the visitors’ win.
Other Pocahontas team highs were: Macaden Taylor – 10 rebounds and two blocks, and Allyson Alderman – five steals and three deflections. Six girls scored for PCHS and five for the Wildcats. PCHS drops to 7-13 and 2-8 in the PVC, while Pendleton improves to 6-9 and 6-5 in the PVC. The two schools each have 13 games vs currently ranked teams on their schedules!
PCHS JV, 32
Pendleton County JV, 39
The Wildcats took the first three quarters again— 6-4, 11-6 and 12-11 while PCHS won the final frame 11-10. Pocahontas was called for 17 fouls and only hit one of two free throws, and Pendleton was called for eight fouls and sank nine of 20 (45 percent) free throws – that was the difference in the game. Freshman Brooklyn Moyers nailed two threes and Pollack hit one. The Wildcats and the Warriors committed 31 and 34 turnovers respectively – an improvement from the 40 each in the last game. The Lady Warriors were out-rebounded by the taller team 31-20. PCHS made 14 of 49 (29 percent) field goals.
Pollack was team-high with 10 points, five deflections and four assists. Wildcat freshman Baylee Beachler scored a game-high 14 points, and sophomore Jenna Smith put up 10 points. Warner had PCHS team highs with eight rebounds and three steals. Six of eight PCHS girls scored, and five of six scored for the winners. Freshman Julia Mongold was tied for Wildcat high scorer with 10 points in the last game, and she was held scoreless by the PCHS defense.
PCHS opened Class A Region II Section 2 play at Tygarts Valley or Pendleton County Tuesday, February 22, at 7 p.m.