FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Parkersburg never led against Morgantown in a matchup of two of the state’s most successful programs over the last decade, although the Big Reds were hardly far off from playing in front at several points of the matchup as part of the East Fairmont Classic.
Ultimately, the Mohigans’ ability to rise to the occasion in the latter stages of the contest made a major difference and allowed Morgantown to score the final nine points in a 64-52 victory.
“These kids are winners,” MHS head coach John Fowkes said. “I told them it’s winning time, and they locked in and did what they did.”
What began looking like it could be a runaway win for Morgantown (8-2) instead became a tight contest as the Mohigans’ early 15-4 advantage was cut to 19-12 by the end of the opening quarter thanks in large part to a pair of Lauren Flanagan three-pointers for Parkersburg (7-3).
Flanagan and Morgantown’s Kayli Kellogg traded triples to start the second quarter, and the Mohigans’ lead remained seven at 28-21 when Kellogg made two free throws. It grew to eight moments later on a short jumper from Carper Messerly.
Starting with a three from Faithlyn Butcher in response, PHS ran off the final seven points of the opening half, a stretch that also included leaners from Flanagan and Frances Guice and sent the Big Reds to halftime trailing 30-29.
Consecutive buckets from Lucie Hatcher enabled MHS to build its advantage back to 38-31 early into the third quarter, but the Big Reds were to within two not long after when Adriana Media made a triple.
Sadaya Jones answered with back-to-back buckets for Morgantown, which benefited from Kellogg scoring six of her team’s eight points over the final 2 minutes of the third to send the Mohigans to the fourth on top, 50-46.
“She stepped up. We knew it was going to happen,” Fowkes said. “I’m not ever going to tell her to stop shooting.”
PHS twice pulled to within two early in the fourth, and after a Kellogg triple, the Big Reds’ deficit was three when Kennedy Porter scored her second straight second-chance bucket.
Kellogg answered with another three to double what had previously been a 55-52 advantage, and the Mohigans buckled down defensively to prevent a talented Parkersburg team from scoring again.
When Brenna Nelson connected on a floater, it made the margin eight, and Kellogg scored from the midrange area with just outside 2 minutes to play to help seal the outcome.
Kellogg scored 14 of her game-high 22 points after halftime.
Jones added 14 points and Hatcher scored 12 in the win. Tatum DeVries contributed six assists.
“If Tatum doesn’t score, she’s doing other things,” Fowkes said. “We have kids that if they’re not scoring, they do other things for us and it’s really cool for kids to be that way. Some kids shutdown when they’re not scoring and our kids don’t do that.”
Flanagan led PHS with 19 points, all of which she scored over the first three quarters.
“She hurt us tremendously through three quarters and I don’t think she scored anymore after Sadaya got on her,” Fowkes said. “Sadaya stepped up and we backed off our press and we are a pretty good man-to-man team.”
Guice added 10 points and nine rebounds in defeat.
The contest was Morgantown’s first since January 3.