UPPERGLADE, W.Va. — With a spot in the Class A state tournament at stake, Webster County coach Sharon Baird figured nerves could be a factor Wednesday in the Highlanders’ Region III co-final against James Monroe.
Sure enough, that appeared to be the case early for the Highlanders, who trailed by four through one quarter. But from the midpoint of the second quarter on, it was all Webster, which closed the opening half on a 16-2 run to seize control in a 61-40 victory.
“It was definitely a total team effort. Everybody stepped up tonight,” Highlanders’ coach Sharon Baird said. “They knew this was going to be a challenge for us. We got off to a slow start. A little bit of nerves hit us and then once we kicked in and became more aggressive, we didn’t look back. We just kept going with it.”
The Highlanders (14-2) are the No. 5 seed in the state tournament and will take on No. 4 Tucker County in a Class A quarterfinal at 9 p.m. Tuesday. It marks Webster County’s first trip to the state tournament since 2004.
“It means a lot to both of us,” said sophomore guard Sydney Baird, the coach’s daughter and team’s top scorer. “I told her when I was young that we were going to get there. Knowing we finally did means everything to us.”
As the Highlanders have become accustomed to seeing over the course of a memorable season, Baird was again key in the victory.
A box-and-1 defense from the Mavericks held Baird to two points in the opening quarter, but she got going in the second after making a pair of free throws and converting a layup off a steal to tie the game at 21.
Two more Baird free throws put the Highlanders in front, before she accounted for three field goals over the remainder of the half. Baird totaled 12 of her game-high 20 points in the decisive spurt over the final 4:17 of the half that allowed Webster to turn a four-point deficit into a 33-23 halftime advantage.
“That run put them up for good. Baird is a really good ball player,” Mavericks’ coach Matt Phillips said. “Our whole game plan coming in was to stop her. We went to the box-and-1 and the team defense was good for a while, but she started penetrating and finding her way in those creases in the second quarter. She created the offense and you have to tip your hat to her for creating.”
James Monroe (12-6) never got the deficit to single digits in the second half, although it was still within striking distance after three quarters, trailing 43-31.
A three-pointer from Akayla Hughes allowed the Mavericks to cut the Highlanders’ lead to 47-36 early in the fourth quarter, but they’d get no closer.
Holly Perrine answered with a triple and after Natalie Snyder scored inside, the Highlanders’ advantage was up to 16.
The Highlanders forced 23 turnovers to help overcome 17 of their own.
“That was part of our game plan was to pressure them as much as we could, try to force turnovers and get easy baskets off of it,” coach Baird said.
Webster County also limited JMHS to one three-pointer and single-digit scoring in each of the final three quarters.
Baird made 8-of-12 field goals and had seven assists and six rebounds.
“I can’t get out of comfort,” she said. “If I do, it doesn’t work. I know what works for me and what goes so I just play my game.”
Madison Hamrick, who scored six first-quarter points, added 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds in the win. Perrine and Snyder scored eight apiece.
Hughes led the Mavericks with 18 points and Adyson Hines contributed 10 in defeat, but the rest of the Mavericks combined to make only 5-of-27 shots.