CHARLESTON, W.Va. – No. 1 Bluefield always looked in control in taking care of eighth-seeded North Marion 62-51 in the Class AA quarterfinals on Thursday.
“We’re fortunate to move on tomorrow. We have some things we need to work on in the morning,” Bluefield coach Charles Large. “We are going to need to play better in the days to come.”
The Beavers (23-3) were down by two points after the first quarter, but with 6:21 left in the second they took the lead for good. North Marion kept the game within 14 points the rest of the way, as Bluefield made only 20-of-39 at the foul line.
“Give North Marion credit: We made some adjustments to our press from the first half,” Large said. “We challenged our kids at half to rebound better and finish around the basket, and I think they did a better job of that.”
Bluefield had four players in double figures led by Lykel Collier woth 17 points and nine assists. Anthony Eades put in 15 points and D.J. Edwards and Corey Coppola both added 13 points and eight rebounds.
“I knew they would probably be doubling Eades a lot, since he’s such a good shooter,” Collier said. “So I just looked to penetrate and find my teammates and create shots for myself.”
North Marion (16-9) was led by Matt Cain’s 16 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Cameron Wilson also added 13 points for the Huskies, who shot just 33 percent from the field, including 6-of-23 from 3-point range.
“They came out aggressive and pressured us,” Cain said. “We couldn’t hit our shots tonight and came up short.”
The Beavers forced 19 turnovers and only committed eight. They also held a 39-6 edge in free-throw attempts.
“I knew the game was going to be called tight coming into it,” Large said. “That’s why at halftime we emphasized driving to the basket, so we could get to the line.”
Bluefield advances to Friday’s semifinal round to face Robert C. Byrd.
— CJ Ricker