CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A furious fourth quarter rally by Gilmer County fell just short as Notre Dame kept their season alive with a 40-37 win in their Class A, Region 2, Section 1 semifinal.
The Titans trailed 33-20 after three quarters and held the Irish to just one field goal in the fourth. But the Irish never relinquished their lead in the final frame.
Notre Dame’s Emilee Henderson led all scorers with a 19-point effort. Emma McKeen added a dozen points for the Irish. Gilmer County was led by Hannah Grove, who scored ten points.
The Irish jumped out to an 11-0 lead as Henderson scored the first nine points of the contest. Notre Dame led 17-3 after the opening eight minutes. “We were moving the ball really well,” said Notre Dame head coach Bob Martino. “We were passing the ball well and Emilee hit shots. I think she is an all-county player and she stepped up tonight and hit the shots that we needed.”
Notre Dame (15-8) will visit Trinity (15-8) Thursday in the sectional championship game. Both squads have clinched spots in the regional round. The top-seeded Warriors defeated Tygarts Valley 51-37 in Tuesday’s semifinal.
The Irish and the Warriors split their regular season meetings. Each team won on the road. Notre Dame won in Morgantown 52-44 in November while Trinity claimed a 52-50 win in Clarksburg last month. “We have to hit shots,” Martino said about Thursday’s matchup.
“We have to be patient on offense. They’re really good and we know them very well. We are friends with them. But we have to play our best game to beat Trinity.”