Lady Warriors stumble then roll at Webster Holiday Tournament

Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer

PCHS 44 AA Nicholas County 67

Coach Mike Kane was worried about opening up with Class AA #10 NIcholas County at the first-ever Webster County Holiday Tournament on Friday, December 26, with five of his players either side-lined by or nursing injuries. Then Sarah Ryder, top rebounder and second-in-scoring, could not travel Friday due to illness. By games-end, a couple more players would be sick. Then add a career and record-breaking scoring performance by Nicholas senior point guard Mykenzie Martin, and Kane could hardly recognize his lethargic squad.

PCHS was averaging way more points, assists, steals and blocks than NCHS before the game, but the taller bears were averaging just under eight more rebounds. Martin would open the game by hitting four straight threes for Nicholas, and the first quarter ended 17-5 NC. PCHS also shot 21 percent the first half before improving to 31 percent the second half. The Bears out rebounded PCHS 37-20 in the game.

By the half Pocahontas trailed by 20, 16-36, and the Lady Warriors cut that lead to 14 by taking the third quarter 18-12. Junior Kayleigh Arbogast,back from an injury and one of the two most

improved players this season, would come off the bench and score 12 of her 13 team-high points in the second half while snagging three steals.

Martin would hit one more three in each quarter to tie her sister’s school record of seven game treys,  Sister Madison Martin is now a senior on Glenville’s basketball team, and Mykenzie’s father is an NCHS assistant coach for Nicholas. Martin would go on to have her career game of 35 points, and her highest scoring this season had previously been 23 points in their first game.

Bobbie McNabb was back from an injury and contributed 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 deflections. Tristin Day would finish with 10 points and 4 steals. Natalie Hartzell scored 7 points. NCHS senior Alexis Brown put in 15 points.

NCHS improved to 4-2.

PCHS 78 Midland Trail 36

What a difference a day would make. Class AA Webster County would beat Midland Trail Friday 54-43 in a close game. PCHS then faced Trail in the consolation game on Saturday.

Just as Martin got hot on Friday, Day took the role on Saturday scoring 11 points in the first period and 20 of her game-high 25 points in the first half. Pocahontas would shoot field goals at a 63 percent clip the first quarter and 52 percent for the game. The first quarter ended 26-11 PCHS, and the Lady Warriors took all four quarters. PCHS out rebounded the Patriots 34-21.

Day now has 982 career points in her four seasons of PCHS varsity play, only 18 points away from joining the PCHS 1000-point club that now includes Jennifer Young – 1154, Shelby Snead – 1023 and Chloe Bland – 1408. Young played in 90-94 when freshmen played on freshmen teams and saw very limited varsity action– maybe at season’s end.

McNabb now has 94 career threes and needs six more to tie Jennifer Moore’s 5th place 100 career treys total.

Day was named to the all-tournament team. McNabb had another all-around good game with a double-double of 12 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Melissa Murphy equalled the 12 points with 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. Tiffany Hoover, off-the-bench had four assists and game high assists of 3 the night before. All nine players would score for a total team effort.

Class A #6 PCHS in the latest coaches poll improved to 6-2 and Trail dropped to 5-4. Nicholas County won the championship 62-35 over Webster, and Martin and Brown were named all-tournament.

The PCHS varsity squad will host for the first time ever the Van Bulldogs from Van, WV in Boone County on Saturday, January 3, at 1 p.m., and the boys varsity game will follow at 2:30 p.m.. There will be no JV games Saturday.