ST. CLAIRSVILLE, OH – When Morgantown girls’ basketball coach Jason White learned the Big Atlantic Classic and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference tournaments were scheduled for the same week, he gave his team the option to back out of the annual tournament in Beckley.
If the Mohigans advanced in both tournaments, that meant playing three games in three days. That also meant playing games on Friday and Saturday within 15 hours of each other — but 225 miles apart.
“We were looking forward to the competition. We wanted to play two undefeated teams and go play for a championship the next day,” said junior Lydia Adrian. “We were excited. We love trips like this.”
Not only did the Mohigans play three games in three days, they dominated them.
Thursday night, Morgantown (18-0) knocked off Wyoming East, the top-ranked team in Class AA, by 23 points. The Mohigans then won the Big Atlantic Classic Championship with a 30-point win over the fifth-ranked team in Class AAA, Greenbrier East, on Friday night. Saturday morning, Morgantown capped off the weekend with a 58-37 win over No. 3 Parkersburg South in the OVAC championship game.
“The kids did a good job getting as much rest as possible, us old men are hurting this morning but these girls would rather play three days in a row than practice three days in a row,” White said with a smile after Morgantown won its second consecutive OVAC 5A title.
If the first week of February was meant to be a test for the two-time defending AAA state champions, the Mohigans aced the exam.
“It’s like a state tournament,” senior Shelby Boyle compared. “At the state tournament you have to play three consecutive games, so this was prepping us for the tournament, so we were just going to rest when we can and play our hearts out.”
Morgantown’s formula for success has remained consistent since White took over as head coach prior to the 2013-14 season, play ferocious defense and play as a team, not worrying about individual success. A glance at the stat sheet shows the evidence of this philosophy. Sydney Holloway is the leading scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game. Lydia Adrian is the only other player averaging double-figure points each game, 11.3.
However, what the Mohigans are doing as a team has been staggering. Morgantown is beating teams by an average of 26 points a game, out-rebounding teams by 15 a game and creating 16.1 steals per game.
“I would not want to play against our defense,” assessed senior Paige Poffenberger. “Our backside help is always there and we’re always in people’s faces and I really don’t think teams are used to that type of pressure we bring.”
That pressure is forcing opponents to turn the ball over an average of 22 times a game creating opportunities for the Mohigan offense.
“Defense is our focal point. Offense comes with the defense,” said Boyle.
This senior class will finish was one of the most decorated classes in Mohigan history. It already has two state titles, two OVAC titles and numerous other accolades but nobody is allowing the team to lose focus.
“We push each other. Everyday in practice and in these games, we’re always in each others’ faces and on each others’ cases, just keeping the intensity up,” explained Poffenberger. “If we didn’t have the connection and love for each other that we have we wouldn’t be able to push each other the way we do.”
And that’s a scary thought for other teams in Class AAA around the state.
“It may look easy, but it’s giving me a few grey hairs,” quipped White.