Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS Varsity, 65
Tygarts Valley Varsity, 42
The Tygarts Valley girls basketball team traveled to #11 ranked (Coaches and AP Polls) Pocahontas County High School January 24 for their second match up this season, and PCHS recorded a second victory over the Bulldogs, 65-42. The Lady Warriors’ margin of victory in their mid-December encounter at Mill Creek was 36 points, 61-25, PCHS scored four more points on Wednesday and again won every quarter but with a smaller 23 points margin of victory.
No Lady Bulldog scored more than six points in December at Mill Creek, but junior Abby Harris stepped up her game this time from scoring four points in Mill Creek to scoring 25 game high points on Wednesday. Harris scored in every quarter and camped out at the foul line, hitting 12 of 18 foul shots. Harris also nailed three of TVHS’s four treys. PCHS was called for more fouls, 24 to 13, and the Warriors hit eight of 13 foul shots for 62 percent accuracy, while TVHS connected on 14 of 28 for 50 percent.
PCHS had three girls, all sophomores, in double digit scoring: Charity Warder, the only other player to score in every quarter – 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block; Kira Bircher – 13 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds; and Laila Calhoun – 13 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists. It was Warder’s fifth double-digit game this season, Bircher’s fifth and Calhoun’s eleventh. The scoring totals of the five other Lady Warriors who scored were: Alexa Taylor – eight, Sage McLaughlin – eight, Briana Hefner – four, Kirstin Taylor – three (only PCHS trey) and Jerica Reed – two. Hefner tallied an amazing 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals.
PCHS (9-4) out rebounded TVHS (6-8) by 39-24 while totaling 27 assists and 18 steals.
PCHS JV, 47
Tygarts Valley JV, 41
PCHS won the JV game versus TVHS 47-41 after a slow PCHS 2-9 first quarter that required a strong16-9 fourth quarter finish to win the game. Unlike the 38-34 December win that saw PCHS starting strong with a 15-10 first quarter and then having to hold on as TVHS rallied in the second half. PCHS grabbed more rebounds, 38 to 24 and committed more turnovers 31-24.
TVHS freshman Claire Smith was game high scorer with 22 points. PCHS freshmen Kierstin Taylor and Tasia Davis were team high scorers with 13 and 12 points respectively. Tasia Davis also tallied seven rebounds, seven steals, three deflections and two threes, while Taylor combined for seven rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and three deflections. The other PCHS scorers were: Sienna Bircher – six points, Chloe Sharp – five, Taylor Alderman – four, Tessa Kiner – three, Destiny Vandevender – two and Breanna Sharp – two. Chloe Sharp grabbed seven rebounds, and Bircher deflected seven balls.
The PCHS JV improves to 6-1.
PCHS Varsity, 72
Greater Beckley Christian Varsity, 22
The Greater Beckley Christian girls basketball team traveled to Dunmore January 27 for a second match up this season, and PCHS recorded a second victory over the Crusaders, 72-22. The Lady Warriors’ margin of victory in their mid-December encounter at Prosperity was 13 points, 43-30, PCHS scored 29 more points Saturday and won every quarter. Head Coach Mike Kane was impressed with the strong effort of his entire squad. The season records set in the game were: 23 points in the second quarter (the most points scored in any quarter this season), 43 points in the first half, 50 points margin of victory, 72 game points, 46 game rebounds, and the fewest turnovers of the season, eight (versus 33 for GBC). PCHS also out rebounded GBC 46 to 33.
Warder had some great moves under the basket and scored 15 of her game high 17 points in the first half while getting her second double-double of the season with 11 rebounds and four deflections. Calhoun just missed a double-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, six steals, three assists and four deflections. Sage McLaughlin tallied 10 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds. Alexa Taylor put up nine points, seven assists and three deflections. Kira Bircher combined for six points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two deflections. Briana Hefner contributed six points, seven rebounds, two assists and two deflections. Reed added five points, two rebounds and two steals. Vandevender made three points and four rebounds, Sienna Bircher tallied two rebounds and three deflections.
PCHS improves to 10-4, and GBCHS drops to 2-9. The two PCHS Girls and Boys Varsity teams will host Region III Section 1 foe Midland Trail on Saturday, February 3 at 2 p.m. (Girls), and at 4 p.m. (Boys Senior Night). The PCHS girls Varsity will travel to Class AA Liberty Harrison in Clarksburg February 5, for one 6 p.m. game, and to Richwood February 6 for one 7 p.m. game.