FAIRMONT, W.Va. — If there was any question as to how much East Fairmont was seeking a trip to the state tournament for a third consecutive season, the Bees answered them all throughout the first quarter and opening 11 minutes of Thursday’s Class AAA Region I co-final against Elkins.
As usual, much of East Fairmont’s success was predicated off aggressive full court trapping defense that led to 13 Tiger turnovers in the opening quarter. In turn, the Bees ran off the first 11 points and led 23-4 after to set the tone in what amounted to a 53-34 victory.
“We talked all week in practice about not just being hungry, but starving to get back to Charleston,” Bees’ head coach James Beckman said. “This group was ready in the first quarter and they came out buzzing.”
The result sends the Bees (20-4) to Charleston as a No. 5 seed where a matchup with No. 4 Grafton awaits in a state quarterfinal.
Elkins (13-11) had great difficulty solving the Bees’ bothersome defense, and after consecutive three-pointers from Kailee Haymond and Kasey Rogers helped stake the home team to an 8-0 lead, Tigers’ head coach Courtney Roth elected for a timeout 4:29 into the action.
“They have more experience in a big game, so we’re all pretty nervous,” Roth said. “If we take away that first quarter, it might be a different game, but that type of of pressure is not something that you can drill in practice, so it kind of hits you pretty hard in the first quarter when you’re not used to it.”
However, it did little to stop the Bees’ momentum, and Haymond’s triple out of the break made it 11-0, before the Tigers produced their first points courtesy of Maddie Belan’s driving basket.
The Tigers managed only six field-goal attempts to the Bees’ 18 over the first 8 minutes, allowing EFHS to lead by 19 entering the second period.
“The key was being super aggressive to cause chaos, cause turnovers and get the ball to get out and score,” said East Fairmont junior guard Emma Moore.
After leading all players with seven points in the opening quarter, Rogers picked up where she left off to start the second and converted from close range, along with making a leaner. When Klaire Rogers added a triple halfway through the frame, the Bees were in complete control and on top, 30-7.
However, Elkins settled in over the second half of the second quarter, and consecutive field goals from Emma Gilbert sparked a 9-0 spurt to end the half that had the Tigers to within 14.
“Once we got our legs underneath of us, it changed the game a little bit making them play half court defense and offense actually,” Roth said.
Although Elkins turned it over 16 times in the opening half, the Bees had a number of their own miscues and went to the break with 12 turnovers.
“We got ahead of ourselves and rushed our decision-making. We wanted to be a little more efficient offensive wise and I wasn’t happy in the second quarter,” Beckman said.
The Tigers hung tough throughout the entirety of the third quarter, with Belan scoring her team’s first 10 points after halftime and Gilbert scoring inside for the final points of the period to trim East Fairmont’s advantage to 41-28 entering the fourth.
But East Fairmont locked down on Elkins down the stretch, holding the Tigers to two field goals in the final period and never allowing the visitors to get closer than the 13-point margin to begin that quarter.
Moore scored six points over the first 4:10 of the fourth, including two free throws and a layup in succession that left her team in front 51-31.
“Not every call or play is going to go your way,” Moore said, “but you have to keep playing and give your best every possession.”
Kasey Rogers led East’s three double-figure scorers with 15 points
“Kasey’s experienced and she’s been there before,” Beckman said. “The girls lean into her and worked together.”
Moore added 12 and Haymond scored 11.
Kinley Opas snatched a team-best seven rebounds in the win.
The Tigers did not make a three and had 27 turnovers.
Belan scored 13 of her team’s 18 second-half points and led all players with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
“That is one hell of a player,” Beckman said. “Many sleepless nights our coaching staff had trying to come up with a game plan for her.”