(Game highlights)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One year after winning its first state championship in buzzer-beating fashion, Cameron had an opportunity to repeat Saturday when the top seed Dragons faced No. 2 Tucker County at the Charleston Coliseum.
Throughout the first half, it didn’t appear the Dragons would need late-game heroics this time around.
However, the Mountain Lions dug deep down the stretch and were to within one possession on separate occasions late, before Cameron displayed its championship mettle and prevailed, 53-46.
“I’d like to win a boring state title, but these girls like to make it exciting,” Dragons’ head coach Holly Pettit said. “Those types of games are fun to watch; not so great to coach. But people like to see close ball games and I like to watch them, too.”
Trailing by 14 points to start the fourth quarter after both squads scored 16 in the third, Tucker County (21-3) mounted a furious charge and was to within 10 at with 5:49 remaining after a Katie Hicks three-pointer and 1-of-2 free throws from Ericka Zirk.
Zirk scored four straight points moments later, including a layup for a seven-point deficit, and teammate Macy Helmick converted from close range to bring the Mountain Lions to within 47-42 with 2:55 left.
“When we were getting steals and opportunities and realized it was coming back our way, I looked over at the student section, saw how hyped they were, and we weren’t out of the game,” Helmick said. “It was definitely a factor in motivating me.”
Cameron (22-6) led 48-44 with 1:17 to play after Gracie Carter split two foul shots, but Zirk scored in response to cut the Dragons’ advantage in half.
(Game broadcast highlights)
Helmick then came up with a steal and immediately tried a go-ahead three, but it was off the mark.
Still, the Mountain Lions got the ball back again trailing by two, but an Emilee Dobbs steal allowed her to get to free-throw line, where she made both attempts for a 50-46 advantage.
Tucker’s Kadie Colebank and Helmick misfired on triples over the final 27 seconds, while Carter made one free throw and Maci Neely two to provide the final margin.
“A tale of two halves really,” TCHS head coach Dave Helmick said.
Were it not for a slow start, the Mountain Lions wouldn’t have needed to try to mount a late comeback.
(Cameron postgame press conference)
However, Tucker made only 5-of-22 first-half field goals, and had 10 turnovers to Cameron’s two.
“We were a little starstruck but we’ve come out like that in both games,” coach Helmick said. “We were hesitant taking it to them and hesitant taking shots.”
In turn, the Dragons, which benefited from Ashlynn Van Tassell’s first-half double-double, led 13-6 through one quarter and 28-14 at halftime.
“Yesterday was not our best basketball game,” Pettit said referencing a narrow semifinal win over Webster County. “I had a feeling the girls would come out locked and loaded and ready to play. They were mentally focused and that had a lot to do with it.”
Van Tassell, a 6-foot-2 junior, had six points in the opening frame and nine more in the second.
She was working against Colebank, Tucker’s 6-1 senior center, in a matchup of two of the state’s premier post players.
“The matchup with Kadie is always good,” Van Tassell said. “I like playing her and she likes playing me. She gives me good competition. My shots yesterday weren’t falling and I had to keep my composure and confidence up. If I kept shooting, I knew they’d start falling.”
Without the decisive size advantage she’s somewhat accustomed to having, Van Tassell tried to work more in the mid range, where she found success.
“The easy bunnies against smaller posts that I usually get, I can’t do that with Kadie, so I had to play more outside in this one and knock down elbow jumpers,” Van Tassell said.
Neely scored seven straight points for her team in the third quarter, helping Cameron up its advantage from 15 to 39-21 in the process.
The Mountain Lions countered by outscoring the Dragons 9-5 over a span of 4:10 to end the third, and Zirk’s follow-up basket just before the buzzer cut Cameron’s lead to 44-30 entering the final period.
“We’re kind of a second-half team,” Colebank said. “We regroup in the locker room, come out and keep fighting and we’ve done that a few other times. Just had to keep picking at the lead, not let them have second-chance baskets and try to get back into the game.”
Tucker made half of its 24 field-goal attempts after halftime and committed only four turnovers to the Dragons’ 10 over the final two quarters.
Van Tassell led all players with 24 points and 15 rebounds, finishing the state tournament with averages of 28 points and 19 boards.
Neely, who made the game-winning shot in last year’s final against Gilmer County, scored 14 and added three steals.
Point guard Kenzie Clutter added seven points and seven assists against only one turnover.
“My assists mean the world. When my teammates finish it like they usually do, I look for them cutting to the basket and just getting open,” Clutter said. “I know I have to keep my composure up top and stay confident in my passes.”
Kadie Colebank led TCHS with 13 points. Zirk added 11, all but two of which came after halftime. Helmick scored 10, including nine in the second half.
Cameron made only 1-of-19 threes, but 18-of-28 two-point field goals.
“We’re a very well-rounded basketball game. Anybody on the floor can shoot the ball, but today wasn’t their day,” Pettit said. “They found other ways to get the ball in the basket and did what they needed to do to win.”
(Postgame “Round of Sound”)
Class A all-tournament team
Sydney Baird, Webster
Ana Young, Pendleton
Abby McDonough, Doddridge
Kadie Colebank, Tucker
Macy Helmick, Tucker
Kenzie Clutter, Cameron
Ashlynn Van Tassell, Cameron
Maci Neely, Cameron