(Game highlights)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Magnolia boys basketball coach Dave Tallman figured the Blue Eagles may have trouble generating offense against a defensive-minded and polished Poca team thad had held all but two of its 24 opponents below 50 points ahead of Tuesday’s Class AA quarterfinal.
Yet not even Tallman could have imagined the difficulty the No. 8 Blue Eagles would have offensively, with Magnolia being held to three field goals over the first three quarters and six for the contest as the No. 1 Dots used a suffocating defensive effort to roll to a 43-19 victory at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
“They’re long, they don’t foul you, they keep you in front and it’s hard to get looks and hard to get shots,” Tallman said. “They box out and hold you to one shot. It’s a clinic is what it is — a defensive clinic.”
Despite the offensive troubles, Magnolia (10-15) was within striking distance throughout a first half that it never trailed by double figures in. That was because Tallman’s team used a stingy defensive effort of its own to hold Poca (24-1) to 8-of-23 shooting through two quarters and the Dots went to halftime leading 18-10 on the strength of Jackson Toney’s nine points and Isaac McKneely’s seven.
Magnolia, meanwhile got off only 10 field-goal attempts and did not have an offensive rebound in the opening half.
“Our defense was really, really good tonight,” Poca head coach Allen Osborne said. “Coming into the game game, our goal defensively was to guard the ball hard and keep them off the offensive boards.”
Over the opening half of the third quarter, PHS pulled away thanks to McKneely’s conventional three-point play and dunk, with Toney scoring in between.
The Dots held the Blue Eagles scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting in the frame, while scoring 10 of their 14 points in the paint to build a 32-10 lead ahead of the fourth.
“We finished around the rim better in the second half,” Osborne said. “Isaac and Jackson both drove the ball better and opened up lanes for guys. We got really good looks the first half — we just didn’t finish. We were more aggressive in the second half.”
Magnolia managed nine fourth-quarter points, but still set the single-game set tournament mark for fewest points in a contest. Additionally, the Blue Eagles’ 18.2 percent shooting (6 of 33) was the lowest single-game mark in state tournament history.
“They love to play defense and take a lot of pride in it,” Osborne said. “That’s what makes it special.”
Toney led PHS with 14 points and three steals while making 6-of-10 shots. McKneely added 12 points and three steals.
“The past few games, I haven’t been shooting it well, and I realize that, but luckily we take pride in our defense,” McKneely said.
Tallman was pleased his team’s defense on McKneely.
“We held the player of the year to 12,” he said. “We contested shots. I don’t think it was just their bad shooting. We created a lot of that. We just couldn’t get looks and couldn’t get shots.”
Toney, McKneely and Toby Payne grabbed five rebounds apiece to help the Dots hold a 32-20 advantage on the glass.
Trevor Williamson’s 11 points and three steals paced the Blue Eagles.
The win sends Poca to a semifinal Friday against No. 4 Ravenswood.
“Last year when we lost [in the state title game], we got right back in the gym and started up again the next day,” Toney said. “This whole season we’ve been working so hard. We’re back here and we’re going to prove our point.”
(Poca postgame press conference)