MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Wheeling Park’s girls basketball team has shown it can win a variety of ways during its unbeaten start to the season.
The Patriots scored 60 or more points four times over their first seven games and have yet to allow more than 55 points in a game.
On Tuesday at Morgantown, Park got a quality effort on both ends of the floor to run its record to 8-0. Strong performances from guards Shanley Woods and Lindsay Garrison, combined with a double double from Bella Abernathy, were plenty good enough to power the Patriots past the Mohigans, 58-42.
“The kids are all in it to win. There’s no selfishness on this team,” Park head coach Ryan Young said. “We have three kids averaging double figures and you’d never know it because they’re all willing to give it up and pass for the best shot.”
Woods led all players with 18 points, including eight in the first quarter to help Wheeling Park (8-0) build a 16-7 lead.
After going scoreless in the first quarter, Garrison connected for a pair of 3-pointers in the second, the latter of which upped the Patriots’ lead to 23-12.
Morgantown (2-6) struggled to generate offense throughout much of the first half, though it got a jump hook from Kaitlyn Ammons to beat the second quarter buzzer and face a 29-16 halftime deficit.
The Mohigans made 6-of-18 field goals through two quarters, while the Patriots were well over 50 percent after shooting 12-of-21 from the field.
Morgantown scored five straight points to open the second half, including Ammons’ conventional three-point play that cut Park’s lead to 29-21.
But Garrison made a pair of 3s moments later to help Park hold a 38-26 lead, and the Patriots took a 44-34 advantage into the fourth.
“We provide a lot of offense for people to defend. It keeps them changing defenses,” Young said. “It does start with Shanley and Lindsay because they are such great outside shooters. They work on it and it’s paid off for us.”
Ammons had a pair of baskets in the post early in the fourth, including one at the 5:44 mark that brought the Mohigans to within 46-38.
But Woods answered with a pair of triples in a span of 1:05, and Abernathy followed with two free throws that allowed the Patriots to hold their biggest lead of the night at 54-38.
Garrison made five of her team’s eight 3s to score 15 points, while Abernathy totaled 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in the win. Abernathy made eight free throws and was responsible for all 12 of her team’s attempts at the charity stripe.
Ammons finished with 16 points to lead the Mohigans, while Cat Wassick added 10 points, six boards and four assists in the setback.
Wheeling Park finished with 14 assists and only seven turnovers.
“We’ll take a win here anytime we can get it,” Young said. “Morgantown is a much improved team from the beginning of the year. They have a chance to be really good by the end of the year.”