CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Storylines abound on the final day of girls basketball season with eight teams vying for four state championships at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.
All four contests will air live on the MetroNews channel at www.wvmetronews.com.
A closer look at each contest in order of tip-off time:
Class AAA
No. 3 Nitro (23-3) vs. No. 4 Lewis County (24-3), 10 a.m.
The Wildcats are after their second state championship in four seasons, while the Minutemaids are in the final for the first time.
In state tournament wins over PikeView and Wayne, Nitro has allowed a total of 24 field goals (12 in each game), while being led offensively by versatile post presence Natalie Smith, who has 37 points, 29 rebounds and a pair of double-doubles in Charleston to this point.
“Natalie is a special kid because she can play inside and outside. I’ve been on her every game and I’ll be on her at least one more game now, but she’s grown a lot,” Wildcats’ head coach Pat Jones said. “She’s taken a lot of constructive criticism this year from me.”
LCHS enters fresh off a victory over previously unbeaten and also eliminated defending runner-up Philip Barbour in a quarterfinal.
While both were impressive results, the Minutemaids had more familiarity with a pair of Big 10 Conference foes than Saturday’s opponent.
A balanced Lewis County team relies heavily on sisters Ella Pinkney and Emma Pinkney in addition to guard Payten Goodwin.
“The biggest thing is trying to set the tone and do what we do,” Lewis head coach Joe Nichols said. “We’re here to compete and we’ve done that so far, but we still have one more to go.”
Class AAAA
No. 2 Wheeling Park (23-4) vs. No. 4 Morgantown (18-8), 12:30 p.m.
In a rematch of the 2023 final, the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference rivals clash for the fifth time this season. Morgantown claimed the opening matchup and the Patriots have won three since, including a sectional title game two weeks ago, 73-53.
Yet the Mohigans are the defending champion and a team that displayed championship mettle in a semifinal win over top seed George Washington, rallying from a 13-point halftime deficit thanks to a 39-point second half.
Freshman guard Kayli Kellogg is a key to the MHS offense, as are point guard Sofia Wassick and wing Sadaya Jones. The Mohigans have overcome the absence of injured standout Lily Jordan during their return trip to the final.
“I don’t know if there’s any secret sauce coming. We just have to go play,” Mohigans’ head coach Doug Goodwin said.
Wheeling Park earned a hard-fought 63-56 victory against Huntington in a semifinal, a game that featured 38 points and eight three-pointers from sharpshooting southpaw Alexis Bordas and 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds from stat-filling point guard Lala Woods.
“We’re a better team than we were last year,” Bordas said. “We’re peaking at the right time and we’re getting better with every game.”
Class A
No. 1 Cameron (22-5) vs. No. 2 Gilmer County (25-2), 5 p.m.
As the Dragons seek to become the first public school program to three-peat, the Titans hope to end the season in the fashion they desire.
Cameron’s appearing in its fourth straight final and its first state championship came in buzzer-beating fashion against the Titans.
“It’s something we’ve thought about from Day 1,” Dragons’ head coach Holly Pettit said of the possible three-peat. “There’s lots of pressure, but they’ve handled the pressure well. They want it.“
The Dragons have a dominant post player in Ashlynn Van Tassell and a trustworthy point guard in Kenzie Clutter.
Van Tassell totaled 57 points and 55 rebounds in the Dragons’ quarterfinal and semifinal wins over Pocahontas County and James Monroe, respectively.
The Titans are after their second state championship since 2016 and have enjoyed a sensational season that’s featured a 45-point quarterfinal round win over River View and a come-from-behind semifinal win against Tucker County.
Junior point guard Allie Ellyson keys the Titans’ attack, while 6-foot-4 sophomore Ava Dobbins has 15 blocks thus far in Charleston and hopes to pose a formidable matchup for Van Tassell.
“These guys are just a little naive. They’re young, full of energy and not scared,” GCHS head coach Amy Chapman said. “They’re not putting a lot of pressure on themselves right now and that’s good to see. Teams can do that and it’ll psych you out. Haven’t seen that since postseason started.”
Class AA
No. 1 Wyoming East (23-2) vs. No. 2 Williamstown (21-4) 7:30 p.m.
The Warriors are appearing in their sixth consecutive state title game and hoping for a repeat and a third championship in four seasons.
Under first-year head coach Ryan Davidson, WEHS has maintained its identity and thrives on full court pressure and transition offense. Guards Madison Clark and Cadence Blackburn are standouts have no shortage of big-game experience, while the Warriors’ supporting cast has also proven plenty capable.
“The standard is what it is, but I’m proud of the fact that they know what it is,” Davidson said.
The Yellowjackets took care of Petersburg in a quarterfinal and shot better than 52 percent while making 8-of-14 three-pointers to earn a semifinal win over Wheeling Central.
Williamstown has a quality mix of size and perimeter play, with post player Faith Pickens and guard Riley Landis helping lead the charge.
“When you’re in the state tournament, you have like one hour to get ready for the toughest game of your life, so you have to trust the habits you’ve built throughout the season,” Williamstown head coach Fred Sauro said. “Those are what we’re going to rely on.”