PCHS girls win two vs Tygarts Valley and one at Highland

Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
 
PCHS V, 48
Tygarts Valley V, 36
 
Pocahontas County High School and Tygarts Valley High School girls basketball teams opened play this season on December 21 at Dunmore, and PCHS came into the game with a (2-3) varsity record while TVHS had a (0-3) record. TVHS lost five seniors this season to graduation, and PCHS lost three.

The game’s high scorer was PCHS sophomore Riley Pollack with a career high 26 points plus 7 rebounds, including hitting 3 of 5 trey attempts (60 percent) and 8 of 15 two attempts (53 percent). Next was TVHS seniors Isabella Shumate – 13 points and Felicity Walden – 11 points. PCHS junior Hannah Burks scored 10 points, including 2 treys, 5 points and 5 steals. Other PCHS high stat players were  sophomore Mackenzie Taylor – 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, junior Olivia Vandevender – 5 assists and 4 deflections, senior Haley Spencer – 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 assists, and junior Adelyn Warner – 4 steals.

PCHS made an improved 21 of 55 field goal attempts (41 percent). PCHS lost the rebounding effort by one, 34 to 35, and TVHS committed more turnovers, 35 versus 31. PCHS won the first two quarters, tied the third and lost the fourth: 19-4, 10-9, 10-10 and 9-13. PCHS was called for double the number of fouls, 16 versus 8, and made only 1 of 8 (13 percent) free throws, while TVHS made 4 of 13 (31 percent). PCHS improves their record to (3-3), and TVHS drops to (0-4). PCHS assistant Coach Chloe Bland was coached the varsity squad in Coach Kane’s absence. 
 
PCHS JV, 47
Highland VA, 27
 
Highland High School had been fielding only a girls varsity squad, but this year, like Bath County, they fielded only a JV squad. The PCHS JV team traveled to Monterey, Virginia, to face HHS December 19. All eight PCHS players scored in the game, and four of seven Rams scored. PCHS high scorers were freshman Calli Propst with 14 points including 2 treys, 6 steals and 6 assists, and sophomore Mallori McCoy with 11 points and 4 of 4 foul shooting. HHS high scorer was Jazmine Douglas with 11 points. Other game or team highs for PCHS were freshman Shala Bennett – 8 points and 5 rebounds; junior Andrea Alder- man – 5 rebounds, 4 deflections and 1 block; and junior Mileya Bircher – 4 deflections, 5 steals and 4 assists. 

HHS out-rebounded PCHS 33 to 21, but HHS committed twice as many turnovers, 40-20. PCHS won the second and third quarters, while HHS took the first and fourth: 7-8, 22-4, 12-6, and 6-9. PCHS was called for 15 fouls  and made 7 of 8 (88 percent) foul shots, while HHS was called for 9 fouls and hit 7 of 20 (35 percent) foul shots. PCHS made 14 of 45 (31 percent) two-shot attempts and 4 of 20 (20 percent) three-shot attempts, so PCHS made 18 of 65 (28 percent) field goals in the game.
 
PCHS JV, 48
Tygarts Valley JV, 38
 
PCHS won the first quarter of the JV game by four points, 11-7 and then took the second stanza by two points, 9-7, to lead at the half 20-14. The third quarter was an 11-11 tie, so the score to start the final frame was 31-25. Both teams scored their most points in the fourth, and PCHS won the fourth 13-9 and the game 48-38 by hitting six twos and making 5 of 10 free throws in the fourth.

Bennett of PCHS was game-high scorer with a double-double of 15 points and 19 rebounds, and TVHS freshman guard Sarah Defibough was next with 14 points. McCoy just missed a double-double by scoring 9 points, 14 rebounds and 2 steals. The following players were team high with the following stats: Alderman – 2 blocks, Probst – 6 assists and 3 deflections, and Moyers – 2 steals.

PCHS out-rebounded TVHS 51 to 35 and had fewer turnovers 22 versus 35. Six Warriors scored in the game, and 5 Bulldogs scored. PCHS was called for 17 fouls  and made 6 of 19 (32 percent) foul shots, while TVHS was called for 15 fouls and hit 5 of 14 (36 percent) foul shots. One TVHS player fouled out of the game. PCHS made 18 of 57 (32 percent) two-shot attempts and 2 of 29 (7 percent) three-shot attempts, PCHS made 20 of 86 (23 percent) field goals in the game.

The PCHS V record is now (3-3) while the JV is (6-1). Class A #17 (AP Poll) Greenbrier West will play at PCHS Wednesday, January 4, (JV – 5:45, V – 7:30 p.m.).