CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Class A No. 2 Greater Beckley Christian rolled to a 79-50 quarterfinal win on Wednesday over No. 7 Tucker County from the Charleston Civic Center.
“Coming into the game, we kind of thought that Greater Beckley was probably the best Class A team in the field – we knew we had our hands full,” said Tucker County coach Dave Kyle. “They’re loaded with athletes – they’re very athletic, and we knew that. I’m thinking we saw one of their better shots today. They were on fire, they couldn’t miss.”
Greater Beckley Christian (23-3) led at the break, 36-21, behind Elisha Kidd’s 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting. Kidd finished with 21 points overall in the win, followed by Brent Daniels’ 16 points and Isaiah Francis who put up 15 points. Tyriek Walton grabbed 13 rebounds off the bench for the Crusaders.
“Very pleased with our effort,” said Greater Beckley coach Brian Helton. “I thought our guys were very well prepared to come out with the effort level and intensity that we needed. We knew Tucker County was a big, physical team, so one of the keys for us was being able to rebound the basketball.”
GBC won the rebounding battle 41-33 and outscored Magnolia in points in the paint, 48-22.
It’s the first state tournament win for Greater Beckley Christian.
“We’re elated,” Helton said. “We’re just excited tonight to eat some popcorn, watch everyone else play and know that we get to play again. It’s a feeling you really can’t put into words. These guys are so deserving – I’ve never had a group that has put in as much hard work over the past 12 months as these guys.”
Seth Evans and Derek Zirk both scored 11 points apiece for Tucker County (18-7) in the loss.
GBC moves on to face three-seed Magnolia in the Class A semifinals on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. The Crusaders beat Magnolia on the road in the regular season, erasing a 19-point deficit to win 84-79.
“Their top eight guys are as good as anybody,” Helton said. “Us being down 19, tells you (Magnolia) can play. Fortunately, our effort and will to win came to the forefront (then). These guys are winners and they know how to win basketball games. We’re excited about the challenge and excited to be in the semifinals.”
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